


Time for Eternity

by GlitterSkullFairy



Series: The Valhalla Panacea [1]
Category: (Possible guest appearances from Vikings), Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: -Ish, Afterlife, Avengers: Endgame (Movie) Spoilers, Character Death Fix, Did I mention fluff and feels?, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Eternity, Eventual Loki/Tony Stark, Eventual Smut, Fix-It, Fluff, FrostIron - Freeform, Loki (Marvel) Feels, M/M, Messing with Mythology, No Plot/Plotless, Post-Avengers: Endgame (Movie), Romantic Fluff, Slow Burn, Storytelling, Timey-Wimey, Tony Stark Feels, Tony and Loki are bad at sentitment, Unless you count shipping as plot, Valhalla, messing with space and time, mostly - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-04
Updated: 2019-06-28
Packaged: 2020-04-07 23:02:08
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 12
Words: 28,804
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19094806
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GlitterSkullFairy/pseuds/GlitterSkullFairy
Summary: I needed cheering up after Endgame.So I sent my two favourite characters to Valhalla to enjoy endless drinking, feasting, attention-whoring and showing off.Oh yes, and a budding romance...





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I haven't rated this yet- I plan on eventual smut but these guys are taking their own sweet time and I truly hope they do as they're told when the time comes.
> 
> This was meant to be a short bit of smutty fix-it fluff after I evetually got the chance to see Endgame, but things got out of hand. It wouldn't be the first time.
> 
> Special thanks to my amazing beta, FluffyGlitterPantsDragon, for giving me this amazing ship. And for fantastic beta-ing duties, including coming up with a title when I couldn't.
> 
> Be warned, I am about to start making up my own science, messing about with mythology, and possibly not googling quite as thoroughly as I ought to- but who cares if any of this is technically possible, it's my afterlife and I'll play with it as I please. The main point here is to make everything happy again. And it will be.

He dreamed he was flying. 

Not the usual way, in the suit, with the roar of the thrusters ever present in the background. It was quiet. A strange whoomph sound slowly repeating on the edge of his awareness. He wasn't alone. The clouds gathered in closer all around him, growing denser so that it got hard to see. He was set back on the ground and left there.

The fog began to clear and Tony looked around. 

Where did the mountains come from? They were beautiful. They towered up, all green and grey, on either side of the bay, and the scent of the sea filled his nostrils. He took a deep breath. The air was cold and brisk. It felt good.

There was something wrong with that fact. It was hurting a lot more a minute ago. Before the fog came in. Had there been a winged horse? No, that was the battle, he remembered that much. Speaking of, what happened to all the wreckage? What was this place?

He was still leaning back on something, just like he was when he thought he was dying. But this felt different. He sat up and turned around. It was a boat. An old-fashioned, wooden boat, pulled up onto the beach. He wasn’t _the_ suit, either, just a regular suit. He stood up and dusted the sand from the Armani. That was when he noticed a familiar white circle glowing through his T-shirt. The sense of wrongness increased tenfold.

A short way from the beach he could see some kind of building. The sides appeared to be wooden, but the roof glowed orange in the evening sunlight. As he moved closer, he saw that it was covered in a multitude of round shields. A golden tree stood near the entrance, with leaves a flaming red. It was kind of reassuring to see his own colours so prominently on display. 

There were loud voices coming from inside, but they sounded happy. In fact, they sounded like they were having a party. If the whole situation hadn’t have been so surreal, he might have been more excited by that. The door was open, and light and warmth poured out. Wishing he had some kind of armour in his pocket, he took a calculated step inside.

The roar that greeted him was almost deafening. Lots of big, burly men sat at long tables, heavily laden with food of all kinds. There were a few women too, and they looked equally strong. The party-goers were clad mostly in leather and furs, and he could see more than a few bushy, blonde beards. It was the kind of gathering where Thor would not have looked out of place. A fire in the centre of the room provided a very homely kind of light.

A mountain of a man with long braids hanging down his back and tattoos on the sides of his head walked over to greet him. “Well met, brave warrior!” He handed him a cup made out of animal horn and Tony sniffed it. Beer? 

“Where am I? Who are you? Have we met?” The questions poured quickly from his mouth, and then he paused, hoping for a half-sane answer.

The man grinned. “How do you not know? I am Ragnar. It has truly been a long time since any from Midgard arrived here. You must be mighty indeed to have earned a place among us.”

Tony took a moment. Midgard was the Asgardian’s name for Earth, but Asgard had been destroyed. “You’re Thor’s people.” It was more of an observation than anything else, but it helped make sense of his surroundings. 

A regal figure at the end of the room rose. His hair and beard were pure white, and he wore a patch over one eye. “You know my son?”

“Odin? Aren’t you supposed to be dead?”

The Father of the Gods looked at him curiously. “You really don’t know where you are, do you?”

A voice spoke from the shadows beside him. “Can I tell him? Please, Father?”

Tony knew the voice, and a face he knew too well leaned forward into the light with a familiar, evil grin.

“Loki?”

The long, slender figure stepped towards him and opened his arms. “Also dead. Welcome to Valhalla!” And to Tony’s utter astonishment, he was wrapped in a fierce bear hug.

“Who is this man, my son?” Odin asked.

“This, Father, is the Man of Iron!” He explained, leading back to the top of the hall. “One of the mighty Avengers who fought alongside my brother Thor in the battle of New York, where I was defeated and made prisoner.” 

“Usually, you know, just Iron Man is good, but, then again, whatever.”

“He stood against me, challenged me, pitted his fine wit against my own.”

“Pretty sure I was actually threatening…” he muttered.

“You have all heard my exploits, you know I am not that easy to overpower. He withstood my magics, I threw him from the highest window of his tower, and still he refused to die. He fought bravely against the hordes of Thanos, flying through the sky in his armour or red and gold, a trail of devastation in his wake.” He spoke proudly, as if he’d beat him at sporting event. “Tell me, friend, what got you in the end?”

“What got me? And wait, since when are we friends?”

“This is Valhalla, Man of Iron,” Loki told him. “Everyone here has battled one another, many of them now sit beside. In life they were warriors of opposing armies, but now they sit side by side to feast and tell stories. This place is our reward, just as it is yours.”

“My…? I’m really dead.” He took a large swig from his horn. “At least the beer’s good round here.”

A lithe woman with intricate braids looked up at him with blue eyes. “Loki has often regaled us with tales of your wisdom and courage. It must have been a truly epic battle to have brought you here, Man of Iron.”

"That would be one word for it, or several. Do you guys have just one word for 'unnecessary raging clusterfuck crossing multi-dimensional and temporal proportions'? And for the love of ...God, call me Tony."

“Come!” Odin shouted. “Join us at the head of the table, Man of Iron. You must tell us the tale.”

Tony walked slowly to the offered seat. The hush was eerie; the faces expectant. He didn’t feel ready to talk about it yet. But there was no way to explain that to these people. He picked up a leg of roasted bird from a platter in front of him, and chewed on it, giving himself a few moments to think. 

“Tell us, Man of Iron,” he asked, “what type of weapon was that it felled you, and who wielded it?”

“I wielded it. Them. The infinity stones.” There was a pregnant pause as Loki and Odin stared at him, the former with brows raised in admiration, the latter with intrigue. They sat one on each side of him, waiting expectantly. The blue-eyed woman appeared at Tony’s elbow and refilled his cup. He took another long drink, and felt a bit more relaxed. “Okay, let’s start at the beginning. Actually, no, that would take far too long, let’s summarise. Thanos, may his ugly grape-Koolaid soul never rest in peace, got all six infinity stones, stuck them in a gauntlet and used them to destroy half the people in the universe. We tried to stop him, but we lost. I was one of the ones that survived. Everything was a wreck. For five years. And then some whack job thief comes up with a plan to build a time machine to steal the stones and use them to bring everybody back. Which we did. Because we're awesome that way. But something got messed up, and Thanos- from before- came forward in time and tried to take the stones and destroy all of us. The entire universe, this time.” He went to swig more beer, but his cup was empty. Loki handed him a goblet, and it was full of delicious wine. “Oh god, that’s good.”

“You’re welcome,” he answered, with a mischievous wiggle of his eyebrows.

“So Thanos turns up in his enormous spaceship, and all his minions start pouring out of the sky. There are multitudes of warriors, and monsters, and things I can’t even name. But our side had an army too. And strange monks who could do magic. And a Hulk,” he spared Loki a sly glance. “Semi-Hulk. Some glowing chick with a cat. Someone said she had a cat. Multiple insect-themed heroes, plus one arachnid, who’s even mouthier than me. I’ve already had an extensive lecture on the differences between insects and arachnids, won’t be making that mistake again. My beautiful wife. A mouthy racoon and random tree-dude. This guy for whom I spent way too much time making his ass look good in his outfit. Worth it it though. And of course, your boy Thor.” That got a cheer from the assembled listeners. Tony managed a smile. “We had to get the stones away from Thanos, hide them back in the past, and he chased us all over the battlefield. But we had powerful warriors from everywhere on earth- even a few from outer space- and we stopped him. He thought he’d got the stones, but I took them, and I used them to destroy him and all of his army. They turned to dust. And then… well, my body just wasn’t strong enough for that kind of power, I guess. I got to say goodbye, and then I woke up here.”

Loki’s eyes were wide. “You killed Thanos?”

“Yeah. Yeah, I guess I did.”

He raised his own goblet. “All hail the Man of Iron!”

The people at the table lifted their cups, cheered and stamped their feet. They were chanting his name. Or at least, the Asgardian version of his name.

Loki leaned on and spoke softly. “It's a great tale, but we need to work on the telling of it. I'll help you. It sounds like the the kind of story that should last for days.”

“Give me a break, not-so-nemesis, it's only been like five minutes. Besides, I'm still getting used to the fact that I'm dead. And apparently in Viking heaven. Any bright ideas how that happened?”

“Seen any grouchy ladies on winged horses lately?”

“Yeah, Valkyrie turned up for the battle. Oh!” His face registered surprise. “Really?”

Loki’s grin was starting to grow in him. “I think your saving the universe might have impressed her somewhat.” The chanting settled back down to a raucous babble of voices. “Well, seeing as you're here, why not make the most of it? Eat, drink, enjoy all that Valhalla has to offer.”

Tony didn't need to be invited twice, and he tucked in. “This is good, really. Like a medieval banquet or something. Though I might have to teach you guys how to make burgers.” He dipped a chunk of soft white bread into gravy that was better than anything on earth. “One question though, what's with the retrofit? It's not like I need this hole in my chest now that I'm dead- not that I needed it when I last alive, anyway- but the triangular version comes with much cooler gizmos.”

“This is the one that you wore when I met you, is it not?”

“Yeah. Little reminder of when I got kidnapped and held hostage to make weapons. Hooked up to a battery and an electromagnet to keep the shrapnel embedded near my heart from killing me. Not my favourite vacation of all time, gotta say.”

“But you escaped.”

“Of course I did. In fact that was when I built my first Iron Man suit. The ugly, clunky version, which only lasted for one flight- well, not so much flying, as falling with style- but it did its job.”

“And that's why you have it, now. So you can boast about your heroic deeds. In Valhalla we all wear our battle scars with pride. Odin has his eye-patch, you have your glowy heart mechanism and I have this.” he pointed to a tiny white mark above one eyebrow.

“What even is that? Did you get a paper cut? Or was it one of those reindeer horns- you tried to put your helmet on in when you were drunk, didn't you?”

Loki’s eyes narrowed. “You forget who you're talking to, mortal.”

“What ya gonna do? Seriously, I mean I'm already dead.”

Loki fell silent, sipping at his wine.

“Oh come on, don't sulk. We're best frenemies now, right? Tell me about your tiny scar. Really, I wanna know.”

His face lit up again. “It's from when Hulk smashed me. Most of my injuries were internal, but this is the mark that proves it. Now I tell the story of how a monstrous green giant slammed me into the ground ten times-”

“Ten? He told me it was five.”

“-five times, breaking every bone in my body.”

“And these guys are impressed by that, are they? That you got beaten up by a scientist? You got any better scars under that pretty green armor of yours?”

Tony was wrong. Loki’s grin wasn't evil before. It was cute fluffy kittens compared to the way the corner of his mouth turned up now. “Perhaps I'll show you sometime.”

“Wow. You do know I'm married right?”

“You were married. When you were alive.” Which was a valid point. _Til death do us part_ and all that. Though if Pepper ever found her way here and discovered he'd been carousing with Shield Maidens and Norse Deities she might have more than a little to say about it. “What's that got to do with it anyway?”

“Aren't you suggesting…”

“Wrestling. A brawl.”

“Ohhhhhh! Right. Cause it sounded like you were coming onto me for a minute there. With the whole naked, um.. No? Just naked wrestling then huh?”

“Not naked. Without armor.”

“No. Okay. I totally get it. Keeping your nakedness for the wenches, right?” Loki looked baffled and slightly perturbed. It made Tony smile. “So you want the story of my adventure in the desert? Because that one I do know how to tell.”

“You mean that little snippet wasn't the whole story?”

“Of course not. I’ve been perfecting that story for years, the press loved it.”

“Go on then,” Loki sat back. “Impress us with your heroic deeds. Heroes of Valhalla! Take ear to hear the tale of the birth of the Man of Iron!”

Tony stood and let his cup be refilled. “The desert was hotter than hell. And dusty. It was also dangerous, but I had brave men and women to escort me. The attack caught us all by surprise…” the atmosphere in the room went sombre as he described what happened to his escort, but the dead were honoured. He judged his audience well, and spoke with his usual eloquence about each of the fallen soldiers, and it felt good to remember them here. There were many things Tony Stark could do well, and putting on a performance was one of them. He told of his capture, going into great detail about his injuries, how the shards had pierced his armour and left him mortally wounded. He described the device that saved him in layman’s terms, but many of the warriors still thought of it as magic. Loki was leaning into his elbow, gazing up at him in admiration as he described how he worked his plan. By the time he got to the actual escape, he was standing on the table, acting out each blast and the fire pouring out of his arms. There were cheers and stamps and banging on tables. Empty tankards were thrown to the floor with shouts of approval, and mysteriously replaced. When he got to the final explosion, and how he flew away just ahead of the enormous ball of fire, everyone in the hall got to their feet and roared.

Tony basked in the glory. He hadn’t felt this in a long time, and oh God! it was good. He bowed and made his way back to his seat. Maybe Valhalla would be fun after all.


	2. Chapter 2

Loki watched with interest as Tony Stark settled into the afterlife. Feasting and drinking came effortlessly to the man, and he quickly learned how to tailor his boasting to his audience. In spite of the fact that most of them came from what, in mortal terms, was the distant past, many of them had keen minds and grasped the concepts of technology as they were explained. Those that didn’t, just thought of it as a special kind of sorcery, and enjoyed the stories anyway.

It wasn't all feasting and stories. They would walk along the beach, enjoying the brisk evening air. They would explore the mountains around, where the Vikings would hunt for game. Sometimes they would take the boats out and go fishing. 

And of course, there was the wrestling. The Man of Iron watched a few rounds to learn the rules before he let himself join in. Not that there were any particular rules, except to honour your opponent and have fun. He lost several fights to start with, landing in the dust, but he never tried making excuses. His form showed he was used to fighting in a different style, and his competitors had been doing this for centuries. He learned though, and with each bout, he improved his technique. Loki waited. When they finally fought again, he wanted it to be a proper challenge.

The mortal didn’t seem to have yet fully grasped the transcendental nature of the hall. Which was a lot of fun because it provided a great many opportunities for playing tricks. There were a multitude of souls in Valhalla, but the hall would have to have been a lot bigger to house all of them at once if it were on Midgard. In order to maintain the illusion of a warm and close-knit fraternity, it was usually impossible to see all of them at once. They were there, of course, they could all hear the stories, but if you glanced down the line of faces at a table, you might see different groups of comrades when you looked back the other way. It worked on the food too. There were empty plates taken away, and full ones brought by the serving girls, but never quite at the speed at which the many unseen heroes consumed them. So things vanished and moved and reappeared seemingly at random. 

Tony Stark, who was used to losing things all the time in his workshop, and then mysteriously finding them again two minutes later, took it in stride at first. If his goblet was on the other side of his plate he just put it down to a moment of distraction- or rather that he was concentrating on something more relevant. Loki had to up his game, and would hide things for longer periods, bringing them back to ludicrous positions. His magic enabled him to play with the reality. The Man of Iron began to take notice at last. And he quickly worked out who was to blame. 

“How do you do that?” he asked, when he went to pick up a handful of grapes to find it had been replaced by a sausage.

“Magic,” Loki said with a wink.

“No seriously, how do you do that?”

He rolled his eyes. “You've been enjoying the fruits of Valhalla for weeks, possibly longer; you fought alongside my brother, the God of Thunder, and saw his magic hammer that no-one else may wield-”

“Captain America’s Ass did. Pretty handy with it too, he even got the whole twirly thing going.”

Loki swallowed his surprise and confusion- surely Thor would have told him if someone else had picked it up? Then again maybe not, it would have been to easy for his little brother to ridicule him for it. He could come back to that tale later. “And yet you still don't believe in magic?”

“Magic is just science we don't understand yet.”

“Really? Well, since you're the clever one, why don't you work it out?”

“Do I get to do experiments?”

“Naturally. How else would you unravel the mystery?”

“Can I ask questions?”

“I suppose so. Though I may come to regret it.”

He regretted it sooner than he expected. Tony’s questions were endless. They would come out of nowhere, in the middle of a conversation, or half-way through a gripping tale. He even walked in on him once while he was seducing a shield maiden in a walled off corner of the hall, asked something utterly random without so much as a greeting and then walked off again as soon as he had an answer. Loki just shrugged and resumed his entertainment.

“Hey, you know if there’s any spare metal hanging around here I could use? Something that isn’t somebody’s favourite plus twelve axe of beast-slaying?” he asked one day.

“Why do you need metal? Is it for your experiments?”

“No, I just want to make a barbeque. For the burgers.”

“Iron or steel? What am I saying, of course you’d want iron.”

“Actually steel would be better.”

“But you’re the Man of Iron.”

“Yeah, except if that suit was made out of actual iron, I would never have lasted as long as I did. The most recent version was actually gold-titanium nanoparticles, stored with the- you know what- stop distracting me, I want to build something. Show me the steel.”

Loki led him around the side of the hall, where a selection of swords lay discarded in a pile.

“Pretty sure these weren’t here earlier,” he noted. 

“Yes and no,” Loki replied cryptically.

“Right, because of the multi-dimensional spatial loop that keeps several things in one place at the same time.”

“I beg your pardon? Have you deduced the source of my magic tricks?”

“Dammit, fell right into that one. I figured it out weeks ago, but I was having too much fun annoying you with random questions. Can we say weeks, time doesn’t really work like that here, does it? It feels like weeks, we’ll go with that. Anyway, I built an actual time-machine, so a little bit of Doctor Who physics wasn’t exactly going to stump me for too long.”

Loki was just staring at him in disbelief. “You…” He waved his hand and made the metal vanish.

“Don’t get all in a huff Houdini, it was a joke, you like jokes, isn’t that kinda your thing? Sorry I spoiled the punch-line.” He reached down, waved his hand around a bit, and pulled a sword out of the air. “Ah, magic!”

Loki’s brows knitted together. “How did you…”

“It’s all still there, you just have to know how to look. I’m going to need a couple more to make a decent sized grill. Although, thinking about it, it doesn't matter how big the grill is, if I can manipulate the spatial anomaly I can cook twenty-four burgers on a rack that’s usually only big enough for six…” He grinned. “This is going to be even more fun than I thought. Come on, I’ve got a heap of wood chopped already, you can conjure up some fire for me.”

“A wood fire won’t be hot enough to melt steel.”

“It will be if I can get several fires occupying the same space.” Loki’s frustration quickly turned to amazement and then admiration as Tony went on to describe how it was going to work. He’d heard the man was brilliant, but this was a level of ingenuity greater than any mortal he’d encountered. And he spoke as if he were simply discussing a game of dice or a good harvest, as if it were nothing. He was truly fascinating. Even more so in that he was using this vast intellect for something as mundane as making food.

Loki followed him back to the beach, entranced, and spent a very enjoyable but unmeasurable stretch of time working on the project. They built a stone fire-pit, filled it with wood procured while out exploring, and Tony waited for him expectantly. “Aren’t you some kind of God of Fire?”

“Who told you that?”

“The internet. I um… I may have Googled you.”

“I’m not sure what that means, but I don’t like the sound of it.”

“You are kinda famous. In more ways than one. I looked you up. Somewhere it said legend has you as a kind of Prometheus.”

“They couldn’t have been more wrong.”

“How so?”

In answer, Loki simply lifted his hand for Tony to see, and slowly let it turn blue. “I lean towards the ice and snow more than the fire.”

“Cool trick.” With a questioning face and an inclination of the head that sought permission, the mortal reached towards him. Loki nodded. His chest fluttered strangely. Tony took his hand, but let go quickly. “Shit! That’s cold. Warn a guy next time.” But he rubbed his hands together to warm them and tried again, feeling the skin, examining the thin silver ridges and tracing them with his fingertips. 

“Wait here,” he said, and stood up abruptly. “Don’t go anywhere!”

He ran into the hall and came back with a huge grin and a horn full of beer. “Hold this for me, would you? No, not that hand, the blue one. Your ale is delicious, but you have no idea how much I miss cold beer.”

“You’re using my power to cool your beverage?” He was incredulous. “But I’m a God!”

“Hey, I’d tell you take a chill pill, but, you know.”

“You’re mocking me. Again.”

“Shut up, you know you love the attention. Is it done yet?” He didn’t wait for a response, but retrieved the horn and took a long swig. “Okay, I take it all back, you are a God. That is the most incredible thing I’ve had since I got here.” He closed his eyes and drank again, humming his approval. “Right, so I guess this means we start the fire the old fashioned way. I better get some sticks.”

“Or-” Loki picked up a small stone out the sand that hadn’t been visible a moment ago and held it up for him to see. 

“Flint?”

“Of course.”

“You’re turning out to be remarkably useful.” 

“I know. It’s curious, I don’t know what’s come over me. But you’ll need some better kindling.”

“You don’t have anything suitable tucked away in another pocket dimension somewhere, by any chance, do you?”

Loki sighed.

“Pretty please?”

“Very well. Just don’t tell anyone I’ve been helping, or they’ll all start asking for favours.”

“Why would I do that when I could just keep you all to myself?” He had a mischievous glint in his eye that appealed to the Trickster enormously. He pulled a scrap of old sackcloth out if the air with a dramatic flourish and a grin.


	3. Chapter 3

It felt good to be working again. The tools were primitive, it was never going to be a work of art, but he was building something, and it felt good. He slipped the sword back into the flames and took a breath. The fire was _hot,_ but he’d stripped down to his T-shirt and Loki was still managing to keep his beer cold. 

“Thanks,” he said, as he took the cup for a most refreshing drink.

“How is the work progressing?” Loki asked politely. “You seem to be cursing a lot less frequently than at first.”

Tony laughed. “Yeah. Getting used to it, figuring out how all the layers work. All I have to do now is hammer out enough strips, I can start weaving them together.”

“How many will you need?”

“Thirty-six should be enough.”

“And how many do you have so far?”

“That are lumpy but useable? Eight.”

“Wonderful.”

“Why do you sound so pleased about that?”

“Because you’re clearly enjoying yourself immensely. And there’s always something to be said for watching a blacksmith at work.”

He handed back his beer and pulled half a sword from the flames. Laying in on large flat stone, he began tapping the end with his hammer, drawing it out into a thinner stick. So far, he'd managed not to burn himself, save for the odd spark, but knowing Loki was watching made him want to show off. He hit too hard, and a slither of white-hot metal shot off and landed on his left arm. “Son of a bitch!” He yelled, dropping the hammer and shaking it off. “Shit shit shit!” He muttered as he poured his beer over the burn.

“You're hurt.”

“It's nothing, trust me I've had a lot worse. Why the hell did I have to end up in the only afterlife where you still feel real pain? Who's stupid topsy turvy idea was that anyway?”

“We're all warriors, Man of Iron, we can handle pain,” Loki said as he approached him. “At least, most of us can. Besides, what would be the fun in a brawl if you couldn't actually break anything?” He reached out and laid an icy blue hand on the red patch of skin. 

Tony breathed slowly as the heat was taken away and the pain eased. “Well, this is different.” Loki waited for him to elaborate, knowing he couldn't keep his smart mouth shut for long. “I mean, it's one thing that we're not actively trying to kill each other, and I can cope with the friendly insults and pranks, but you actively being nice is just weird. Like next level weird. Like I saved the universe and now I'm in Viking heaven and I can basically do freaking magic and that's just a regular Tuesday, but the guy who threw me out the window is tending my wounds and my brain feels like it might implode.”

“Surely I'm not that bad?”

“You stabbed my friend through the heart.”

“True, but it's not like he stayed dead.”

“Wait, what?”

“You haven’t heard? I'm not sure how, but they managed to revive him. ‘Son of Coal’ has been having all sorts of adventures.”

“Why did no-one tell me?”

“I have no idea. Maybe Valkyrie will bring him one day and you can ask him.” Tony looked down and Loki removed his hand. “You’ll be fine, mighty warrior.”

Tony dropped down to sit on the sand. Loki took his cup, refilled it with the power of science, and chilled it with the power of magic. “Were you really still angry about that?”

“He was a good guy, angry doesn’t begin to cover it. Try totally pissed.”

“He still is. According to Lady Sif, he’s becoming quite the hero himself. I can remember the look on his face when he shot me. It was legendary.”

“How can you smile at the thought of his death?”

“You are so entrenched in your own cultural prejudices. He had a truly honorable death, a legacy, even though he still lives. He keeps fighting for his people, unwavering in courage. I smile at the memory of his soul, defiant to the last, and so should you. He is one to be celebrated, not mourned.”

“Well, okay, when you put it like that,” he took the peace offering and drank.

“Come on, shake off your melancholy and get back to work. You need to finish your grill so you can cook me some burgers.”

“Are you going to help, or just sit there and watch?”

“I already helped, I think I’ll go back to watching. You are quite the work of art, after all.”

For a moment Tony thought he was flirting, but there was nothing lewd about the look in his eyes. It was as if were admiring a beautiful painting, or a statue. Loki made himself comfortable, reclining against a rock, and sipped at the cold beer. “Strange, but refreshing. I can see the appeal. I might get used to it.”

Tony poked at several fires existing in the same space at once and got back to work, considering the sudden shift in his relationship with his companion. Had they really become friends? True, they did spend a lot of time together. More than he spent with any other one person. He was kinda starting to like the guy. He was fun, and smart, and now that he wasn’t trying to take over the world or kill anyone he cared about, he was a lot easier to get along with. But the thing that drew him to Loki more than anything else was that he was a link to his past, a home that seemed far away and long ago.

Time passed differently here, like he'd said. He had no way of knowing how long it had actually been. No way of knowing- 

Tap, tap, tap went the hammer. Hiss went the steam as he dropped the length of steel into a bucket of water. He managed not to to finish the thought. He could think about it later. Right now, he had work to do. Fun work. With a playful deity for company.

 

It was with extreme satisfaction that he wove the thick wires into a kind of grill. He let the fires burn down while he sat leaning on the overturned boat, side by side with his new friend, getting drunk and looking up at the evening sky. Loki had insisted that he's had enough of ale, and gone into the hall to fetch two goblets and a skin full of wine.

“What time is it?” Tony asked.

Loki laughed. “You know better than to ask questions like that.”

“Will it ever be morning?”

“It will be morning when you've gone to sleep and woken up.”

“I don't think I've slept since I got here. How did that happen?”

“You've been too busy. You no longer need to sleep for the sake of a mortal body. It only comes if you desire it.”

“Back on earth I hated that I had to sleep. I would keep going until my body made me stop. Bleary eyes and wobbly hands I could deal with, but then I’d stop thinking clearly and I’d have to give up and sleep before I started making mistakes.”

“Your work was always important to you, wasn’t it?”

“It helped people.” He gulped his wine. “No, not always. That’s just something I told myself. I mean, it did help people, I saved the world on more than one occasion, but that wasn’t the only reason. I just love the puzzles. I love the challenge, I love the buzz that I get when I’m onto a solution, and the awesome feeling of accomplishment when I pull off something extraordinary. Plus flying around in a shiny suit and blowing shit up is always fun. I miss that.”

“Something tells me it’s not the only thing you miss.”

Tony’s chest swelled as he inhaled deeply. “I miss my family. I miss all my superhero friends. I miss Pepper. And I miss Morgan. I miss her three thousand.”

“Three thousand what?”

“Huh?”

“Presumably that’s some kind of unit of measurement. Like miles or-”

“Shut up, don’t ruin it.”

“But it doesn’t make sense, especially coming from-”

“Loki, I know you live for the taste of destruction and mayhem-”

“Possibly, when I was alive, that is-”

“And you can say what you like about my friends-”

“I particularly reserve the right to insult my brother whenever I want, the meat-brained-”

“But don’t go anywhere near any memories of my daughter.”

Loki fell silent and the finger he was waving to make his point fell. “I see.”

“I don’t even know how old she is now, because there’s no way of telling how long I’ve been here.”

“She is both young and old, a babe and a woman. We are outside of time, but we still experience things in a linear fashion. You know that already.”

“I do. It hurt my brain thinking about it at first, but it’s getting better with time.” He dropped his head sideways to look at Loki and his mouth twitched at the corners.

“You’re not half as funny as you think you are, mortal.”

“Maybe not, but I'm twice as clever and threes times more handsome, which you seem to keep appreciating.”

“Still not as handsome as me though.” He sighed. “I had a son, you know.”

“Really?”

“In a way. When I was young, I found a infant wolf lost and alone in the forest. I took him home to look after him. Thor laughed at me for being so sentimental, but Odin smiled and said I'd done a good thing. He was so small I had to feed him with a bottle. I would spend half my days in wolf form, curled up around him while he slept.”

“What was his name?”

“Narfi. But it didn't end well.”

“Oh? Did he end up leaving you for a pretty wolf lady?”

“No. Some brutes disemboweled him. Tied me up in his entrails to try and prove I was weak. Thor was furious. He smashed their kneecaps with his hammer. They couldn't walk for months.”

“That's seriously fucked up, man.”

“To you, perhaps. But it made me stronger.”

“Caring about somebody isn't a weakness, Loki. Even if it's just-”

“If you refer to my son as ‘just a wolf-pup’ then I will disembowel _you,”_ he snarled.

“Not at all. I was going to say, just for a little while. I don't know how long you had, but I had five years. From the moment I dreamed of her, to the moment I had to leave. I went too soon, but she's alive because of what I did. And if you hadn't adopted Narfi he wouldn't have known what it was to be cared for. You gave him that, and it's something.”

“He really was beautiful. His fur was softer than anything else I've ever felt. He was completely devoted to me, and I often wonder if I'll ever know that feeling again.” He drained his cup. “But I am over a thousand years old, and I have so many more memories and tales to tell. And even all those years pale to nothing compared to the eternal feast which is our reward.”

“Only a thousand?”

“What do you mean?”

“Well I know Thor called you his baby brother but in God years, that’s got to be, what, eighteen? Twenty-one?”

Loki glared.

“Is that what the whole invasion was about? Odin asked you to clean your room and you went off in a Divine temper tantrum?”

“I cannot conceive that you, Tony Stark, are questioning my level of maturity.”

“Hey, I grew up pretty fast after I threw a nuke through your space portal.”

“Not completely, I hope.”

“I still know how to have fun, if that's what you mean.”

“Excellent. Because I intend to have lots more fun now that you're here.”

“Too right. We're having a barbeque tomorrow for a start.”

“Tomorrow?”

“I think I might rest now. I'm too drunk. Sleep sounds appealing for once.”

“Then sleep, Man of Iron. I will finish the wine.”

The sky darkened into night. When Tony closed his eyes and began to snore, Loki considered that it might be nice to curl around him and feel the warmth of someone else against his belly, even if he didn't have any fur. Sometime. But time was like space here, all overlapping, so he contented himself with the knowledge that if it was going to happen, then that moment was also now, and the man was sleeping on his embrace already. Patience was a lot easier when you had eternity.


	4. Chapter 4

Before he could cook, Tony needed meat, and so Loki suggested the thing to do would be to go on a hunt. They invited some of the others to join then, and decided to split into two groups and make a competition of it. Ragnar took his group one way, and Loki and Tony went another with a few heroes of their own.

“You realise I have never been hunting before?”

“Don't worry, I'll make sure you don't embarrass yourself too much. Do you know how to use a bow?”

“Not really. Clint offered to show me once, but I had hand cannons, so it seemed like a step down.”

“Your explosives would not serve you well in this endeavour. The noise and fire would scare away the prey. You need to silent and stealthy.”

“You sure you don’t want to do this on your own? In case you hadn’t noticed, I’m not exactly the quiet type.”

“So you’ll sit here by the hearth like a good little wife while the real men go out to provide your food?”

“Is that some kind of proposal?”

“You’ll have to learn sooner or later. Not that we actually need to hunt for food, it’s more just for the fun, but-”

“You hunt animals just _for fun?_ Isn’t that kinda cruel?”

“They’re not real animals. This is a spiritual realm, real animals wouldn’t make sense. The food is provided to enjoy, not to give sustenance.”

“So you’re saying this is like a VR hunt?” 

“A what?”

“A computer game? You know what, nevermind. Fine. I’ll come along. It can’t be that hard, right?”

“It’s a skill that will take some practise, but I expect I can instruct even you.”

Having procured the necessary equipment, the team set off into the forest on the mountain. A tall, slender man named Henrik was with them, who was an excellent tracker. He led them down a trail that Tony couldn't even begin to see. “What's he looking for?” he whispered to Loki, who always seemed to be close by.

“Tracks, broken foliage, scat- there are many signs to follow if you know what to look for.”

“Could you follow this trail?”

“With ease.”

“Then why aren't you at the front, taking the lead?”

_Because for some reason I'd rather be back here with you,_ he thought. “Well, someone needs to keep you out of trouble,” he said instead.

Eventually, after what felt like a whole morning of walking, Loki motioned for him to hush, grabbing his wrist to pull him lie to the ground. “It's nearby.”

“What-” but he didn't finish because long, delicate fingers were pressed against his lips. The God motioned for silence, and Tony obeyed, looking around and moving carefully. The stag came into view. It was magnificent. Suddenly Loki's helmet made a lot more sense. There was power in those horns, in its stance. It was nibbling at the leaves, casually, completely unaware of their presence. 

The hunters circles silently around it, but Loki waited at Tony’s side, his bow at the ready. At some unspoken signal, they all released their arrows as one. Loki's hit it in the shoulder, going deep, and two more shots pierced its flanks. None proved fatal. The animal darted away, its progress slowed by its wounds. The party leapt up and gave chase. It sprang left and right, seeking escape and a few more arrows narrowly missed. But Tony followed its movements, recognising the patterns. He had used the same techniques himself when flying, dodging incoming missiles. He took the light axe that hung from his belt and waited, choosing just the right moment, and then hurled it in the beast’s path. It found its mark and the stag fell.

When he saw the corpse, he felt a brief pang of regret, to have brought this life to an end. But then he remembered where he was, and that it was never really alive in the first place. Just like a game. 

All his companions were praising him for the blow, slapping him heartily on the back. Loki grabbed him in a fierce hug. “Well done, Man of Iron! You have surprised us all!”

“Honestly, I surprised myself. Has someone been messing with the difficulty settings? What happens next?”

Loki's grin warmed his belly. “Now we get it ready to carry down to the beach. If this was a real hunt, it might be better to carve it here and take only what we need, but I want to present it whole, so that Ragnar may see our great victory.”

They tied their prize to a stout branch and took turns carrying it between them in pairs. It was a fair walk back to the beach, which was empty when they arrived. Ragnar’s group arrived soon after, carrying a brute of a wild boar. Mutual compliments were exchanged and then they began the work of preparing the meat.

That night, the Vikings got a taste of venison and pork burgers, smoky and hot, and the Man of Iron was proclaimed a true hunter. Even Odin joined them on the sand, enjoying the food and the embellished boasting about the hunt.

Tony tried not to think too hard about where the bread rolls came from. If food could just appear Star Trek replicator style, then he may have just wasted two days (possibly longer, he hadn't been keeping track and without the need for sleep who knew?) preparing this meal when he could have just magicked it all up. It had been fun though. And he felt like he'd made a real friend, even if he didn't want to admit it.

 

Some time later, possibly hours or weeks or longer, Tony was trying to explain his armour to Ragnar. 

“These- nanobots- they sound awful. Like tiny insects crawling all over you.”

“They don't exactly have legs, they kind of just move and replicate into whatever they're programmed to do.”

“And where do they come from?”

“The arc reactor.”

“They live inside your chest?”

“Not anymore. Also, not alive and not under my skin. Just in this glowy doodad. Not this one-” he tapped the circle on his chest, and watched in wonder as red immediately started to spill out from the sides, spreading over his chest and over his arms with slithering clicks. “Holy shit!” he swore, lifting up a gauntleted hand and laughing. “It still works!”

The helmet closed over his face and the familiar user interface flashed up. He scanned around, every man and woman staring at him in wonder. Everyone except Loki, that is, who was smirking so hard he could barely keep his half chewed burger in his mouth.

“You knew?” a metallic voice accused him. “Of course you did- everyone else here gets to bring their favourite toys, so why not me? You could have told me. Or at least hinted.”

“Where would be the fun in that? Why do you think I keep following you around? I didn't want to miss the look on your face when you found out.”

“Glad you had your little moment, Mr. Frosty. See you around.”

He shot off into the sky, trying not to let his anger spoil the occasion. He just wanted to enjoy the the flight, but he couldn't stop brooding. So he landed halfway up the mountain and paced around. Loki was a dick. He had always been a dick, and he always would be a dick. It was stupid to think that he could ever be a friend. Foolish to expect him to actually care about anyone but himself. He was stuck here, eternally, with a bunch of strangers. He wasn't sure if he'd ever learn to belong here. 

He aimed his arm at a large tree and blasted it to shreds, leaving a smouldering, twisted stump. That felt better. He tapped his chest, and dropped armourless to the ground to watch the smoke billow up towards the sky. And he wept as he sat there, finally overcome by all that he'd left behind.

Eventually the grief passed, and he heard footsteps approaching. He wiped his face and turned, sighing at the grin that greeted him. Because of course the Trickster had come to gloat. “What do you want?”

“I brought booze. But if you don't want it, I can take it away again.”

Tony held out his hand wordlessly, and Loki handed him the wineskin.

“What, nothing to say? No insults, no name-calling, am I not even worth the smallest jibe?”

“What's the point?”

Loki sat beside him. “Smashing things helps, but it can leave you feeling rather empty, in the aftermath. Believe me, I know.”

“I blew up a tree. You blew up New York.”

“I've blown up a lot more than that. I lost my entire home before I died.”

“Why are you even here?”

“Honestly, I was expecting you to be happier in this scenario. But then I saw the smoke and thought you might need a friend.”

“Shame I don't have any of those here, then, isn't it?”

“Man of Iron, you wound me. Have I not been your constant companion, your guide? I even…” he swallowed, “helped you.” 

“And you did it all for your own purposes, didn't you? I'm just another pawn in one of your games.”

“It was a joke, Tony Stark. I like jokes, they're my thing, remember? If we're going to be friends for eternity you better get used to that fact. Because I will inevitably pull pranks at your expense again and again. And I fully expect you to do the same to me.”

“So this really is just your idea of fun?”

“Do you know rare a thing surprise actually is around here? That moment was truly priceless. The delight in your eyes, the wonder in your voice when you laughed- I'm holding onto that memory for a long time.”

“It was pretty awesome.” He stood and tapped the reactor and smiled once more as the armour wrapped around him. He still had this. And maybe… “Are music files still online?” he asked his helmet.

“All music files from your personal library are available, sir.”

“Holy fuck, Jarvis? Is that you?”

“Indeed sir. What would like to hear?”

“Back in Black, obviously. And punch it out the external speakers too. I have a Norse deity to annoy.”

“Very good, sir.”

The music blared loud and suddenly, and the shock on Loki's face was delicious. He turned the volume down enough to be heard. “Now that, my dear godling, is what surprise looks like!”

Loki recovered quickly and grinned. “Are you ready to play now?”

“What did you have in mind?”

Pure, magic energy spun into a ball of light between his hands. He threw it up into the air. “How about fetch?”

Tony soared up and blasted the glowy thing with a burst of energy from his palm. “I'm not your puppy, either.”

Loki wound another between his hands. “Target practise it is then.” He threw it straight at Tony, who quickly dodged and blew it away, turning the music back up to full volume. He hovered, waiting for Loki to try again. Which of course he did.

It was brilliant. There was no end to his energy, and Loki kept getting closer- not actually trying to hit him, but making him work harder. It wasn't until his playlist ended that he decided he'd had enough and came back down.

Loki let the final ball if energy fizzle away. “What is that stuff anyway?” Tony asked as his armour retracted.

“Just an illusion. I wouldn't do anything that would hurt you. At least, not without your permission.”

“We still haven't had that brawl yet,” he pointed out as they started wandering back down the mountainside.

“How many Vikings have you fought so far?”

“Probably about a dozen. Why?” They passed the remains of the wine back and forth as they walked and talked.

“Tell me when you reach a hundred, I'll consider fighting you then.”

“What? You think you'd win too easily?”

“Undoubtedly. I want our first fight here to be an actual challenge. Plus, I enjoy the anticipation. We only get a first time once.”

“True. I'll keep practising then. I'd hate for you to get bored waiting.”

“I doubt I'll ever get bored now that you're here.”

“Because I'm a genius or a constant pain in the ass?”

“Both, as a matter of fact. It's very refreshing.”

“We are friends then?”

“I said we were from the beginning, did I not?”

“Yeah, but there's friends as in comrades who don't want to kill each other, and then there's friends who show up with booze when they think you're upset about something.”

Loki stopped in his tracks. “I don't offer my friendship lightly, Tony Stark.”

He paused and looked back. “No, I don't suppose you do. And I'm sorry I took you for granted. You are a good friend, and I'm glad you're here.”

Loki patted his back roughly. “Excellent. I can't wait to see what you do next.”

 

What he did next was ask Loki to teach him how to use a bow properly, which was harder than it looked. He persevered, and with practise he was almost as good as any of them. Which was still only half as good as Clint, but he still had eternity. 

He also started whittling chess pieces, and before long had a full set which he used to teach Loki the game. He picked it up quickly and proved to be a good opponent. When they found themselves too equally matched, Loki started teaching him an Asgardian game of strategy. It took Tony a while to learn, but Loki was impressed anyway, and they played regularly until one day Tony actually beat him. They both cheered and stood, knocking over the board in their eagerness to embrace each other.

He looked at Loki's grin and didn't want to let go. He let his fingers slide down the leather sleeves, lingering on skin that was cool even now, feeling an urge that wasn't entirely unexpected. 

He did let go, but not quite quickly enough. There was a spark of curiosity in his friend's eye. “You beat me.”

“Yes. And I didn't even need a Hulk this time.”

“You have yet to tell us your version of that battle in the great hall.”

“Maybe we should tell it together.” His heart jumped at the thought. “Do you want to rehearse it or just jump right in? Why am I even asking- of course you want to dive in. Shall we start now?”

“This evening. Let me enjoy the anticipation for a short while.”

“Of course. We only get one first time, right?”

“Precisely.”

The afternoon seemed to drag on forever, and perhaps it did. But they walked all the way to the end of the bay and back again, remembering, making sure they were agreed on the main points. The sun was setting, glimmering on the waves, and Tony let himself enjoy the romance of the moment. It didn't matter that they weren't holding hands. It didn't matter that Loki had no idea about the feelings that were stirring behind the glowing circle in his chest. They were together, as they should be, and it just felt right.


	5. Chapter 5

The Hall was quieter than it had ever been. The constant babble of voices had vanished into an expectant hush and all but a few had stopped eating, sitting still and gazing up at the two titans at the front of the Hall. The Man of Iron wore his red and gold armour, but with his face exposed, and the God of Mischief was in his full regalia, complete with cloak, horns and glowing staff. Some of it was illusion, just for effect, but it was an effect which had Tony struggling to concentrate for a moment.

Loki began, telling of how he stole the tesseract, and the audience smiled. They’d heard this part before. What they hadn’t heard was how the Avengers were brought together, and Tony’s explanations of each of their unique skill sets and origins brought the heroes to life in a new way. Loki set up their first meeting perfectly- he made the crowd cheer by producing his replicas all around the hall. Not to be outdone, Tony entered the scene with a very carefully calculated leap- bearing in mind the room was actually bigger than it appeared- and used his thrusters to fly across to his adversary. He stopped short with a quick flash of the repulsors, but Loki caught his intent and faked the fall. “Of course, I was only pretending to surrender,” he said, as he got up.

“Of course.”

The audience stamped their feet to make the thunder. They went wild as Tony told of his battle with Thor, and he resisted the urge to fire a hole in the ceiling. They carefully edited the events on board the helicarrier, focussing more on the attack and the wreckage than the politics and infighting. Tony did make it seem like he single-handedly prevented it from crashing from the sky, but it was only a slight exaggeration and at last, they got to their meeting in the tower. 

Pacing the edges of the room, he made his armour vanish and they re-enacted it fully. Tony sipped wine instead of scotch and decided one of his next projects would be to create a proper distillery. But as he and Loki drew closer, he felt his chest tighten once again, a rush of adrenaline that had nothing to do with fear. _Oh God._

“When they come, and they will come, they’ll come for you.”

“I have an army.”

“We have a Hulk.”

“Oh, I thought the beast had wandered off…”

“You’re missing the point- there’s no throne. There’s no version of this where you come out on top.” It was fun to make the speech again. He wasn’t sure he got the words exactly right, but it was close enough. But Loki’s eyes never left his, and the power which he held in that moment was intoxicating. He took a step closer, and so did Loki. He was pretty sure he hadn’t been near enough to catch the fragrance of him last time. Almost certain he hadn’t felt the warmth of the self-proclaimed God’s breath on his cheek.

Right, because Loki had to take a step back to make room to point the sceptre on his chest. “How will your friends have time for me… when they’re so busy fighting you?”

At that moment, mocking Loki’s “performance issues” in front of an audience seemed like a total dick move. Instead he just raised his eyebrows and sipped his wine. “Because of course his power wouldn’t work on my Iron Heart.”

Loki blinked but gave no other indication that anything was amiss.

Instead, he grabbed Tony by the front of his shirt and lifted him off the ground. The fabric bunched across his back and dug in under his arms, but at least it wasn't a choke hold. “You will... fall... before me!” Loki's eyes widened in question and Tony gave the barest of nods. He let his mind focus on TARDIS proportions, activating the reactor as Loki tossed him towards the door. If it had been usual space, it would not have loaded in time, but he was everywhere and everywhen and by the time he reached the the entrance he was fully suited up. “Strangely enough, falling out the sky seems to happen to me on a regular basis,” he explained as he righted himself and hovered, “I was prepared. But then the portal opened and I had to keep my city from being levelled by giant flying centipedes.”

Loki took up the tale for a while, creating fireworks and miniature explosions for all to see. Tony took a few moments behind his mask to compose himself. _Get a grip, this is story-time, not time for crushing on your once-enemy, now-besty who will probably start removing body parts if you suddenly turn around and try to kiss him. Not that it isn’t a tempting idea… since when? Oh crap._

Distracting himself would be a useful tactic at this point. “Did he ever tell you the part where I dove down the throat of one those monsters and blew it up from the inside?”

“You did what?” Loki asked, incredulous.

So he told them. At a level of detail which even had a few warriors turning green. They all thought the tale was over when Loki was defeated, but Tony was far from finished. His description of the nuke, of the lives it would have taken, had everyone on the edge of their seats. He drew out the chase, the way he saved earth and destroyed the invaders in one bold move, and didn’t skimp on how he nearly died. And it occurred to him that perhaps this was just a hint of what was to come.

He swallowed, knowing that his end had been due for a long time, and tried really hard not to believe in destiny. Although obviously Strange had seen it coming.

“So, Thor grabbed the big green guy, and I grabbed Cap and we flew back up the tower to make sure our dear Trickster didn’t get away.”

“And even then, the Man of Iron was a true host and let me have a drink before my brother gagged me and took me prisoner.”

There was laughter and cheers, and Tony grasped Loki’s hand and pulled him in for a hearty slap on the back which he returned in kind. Their eyes met as they drew back, and for the first time he could remember, Tony was stuck for something to say.

“It was well told, Stark,” Loki said with a delightful smile. “We make a good team. I only regret that I never had the chance to fight at your side while we were alive.”

“We totally would have kicked ass, too. So, just out of curiosity, you don’t remember anything else of interest happening afterwards, you know, before you ended up back in Asgard?”

“Why? Should I?”

“Hopefully not. Divergent timelines and all that. Maybe we could discuss it over dinner sometime.” 

“If you wish. Paradox theory and time travel make for good brain exercise, and I do need to keep yours sharp.”

“Really? Do you have plans for my brain?” He was flirting a little, but it was too easy. And hopefully Loki wouldn't notice.

“I have plans for all of you, Tony Stark. Plans that will keep me entertained for a very long time, I hope.”

But Tony didn't get to ask any more because Odin was calling him. “Man of Iron, a word if you please.”

Loki gave a nod. “Best not keep my Father waiting.”

Tony turned and reluctantly walked away. “All-Father,” he said, respectfully. Because something about Odin made him feel slightly smaller than usual. It wasn't the God thing. Possibly the Dad thing.

“What are your intentions towards my son?”

Yup. Definitely a Dad thing.

Odin leaned towards him, speaking softly. “I’ve seen the two of you growing close. Loki’s heart is fragile, and his wrath is… almost as fierce _as mine.”_

Tony’s mouth was suddenly very dry. “I understand. And I want you to know that this is not a game to me. I have no desire to hurt him, even after-” he waved in the general direction of their little show “-all that. I won't do anything unless I'm certain.”

“Do anything?” The King of Asgard did not do confused, but right now one might be forgiven for thinking he looked perplexed.

“I mean, um… personal advances or… ” Now was not the time for his brain to going the places it was trying to lead him. _Put a lid on it, brain._

“Am I correct in thinking that you're considering some kind of… romantic liaison?” 

Now it was Tony’s turn to be perplexed. “Isn't that why we're having this conversation?” 

“I was concerned, Mr. Stark, because you are not completely familiar with our ways, and I did not want any residual ill-feeling to taint your developing friendship.”

“Oh. So this isn’t because you noticed anything going on with the… thing… um...” He folded his hands tightly together and pressed them to his mouth in an attempt to make himself shut the fuck up.

Odin, meanwhile, was thoughtfully stroking his beard. “Do you have reason to believe he reciprocates your feelings?”

“Hard to say. It's Loki, and he's…” he finished the sentence with an open handed shrug.

“Yes. I'm well aware. Toy with him at your peril, mortal, I would hate for you to have averted Ragnarok only to set it in motion again.”

That gave Tony pause. “Didn't that already happen? Thor said-”

“Ragnarok for Asgard, yes, but not the universe. We have yet to see the end of _all_ things. A war in Valhalla could be very dangerous.”

“I really don't want to start a war, sir. I just want…”

“What, child?”

“I want Loki. As a friend, as a lover, as a shield brother- is that even a thing? As anything he wants me to be. He is important to me, no- more than that, he's essential. I feel bound to him.”

“And what if, with time, he tires of you? What then?” he asked, with a calculating look.

“Is that a trick question?”

“How so?”

“Because we're outside of time, in eternity, the everywhen. There is no real time, the future is literally now. If we're going to be together, then we always will be, and in a way we already are… Huh. That explains it, I guess.”

“Explains what?”

“Why we're so drawn to each other. Which means it is actually bound to happen.”

“Pre-ordained?”

“Yes. No, not quite, because that would suggest approaching a future event through a linear passage of time. More like…” he smiled. “Destiny. Which also means there's no rush. We have all the time there is.” 

“You seem very pleased about that.”

“It's Loki. I'm sure the journey will be more than interesting.”


	6. Chapter 6

There was no time to pass, and one heavenly afternoon blended into another. Tony relaxed with his friend, playing games and learning new skills. It was easier now that he knew, and he felt a warmth in Loki's smile and a light in his eyes that made his belly do flip-flops on occasion. The only difficult part was persuading himself not to stay by his side every moment.

“Hey, you wanna teach me how to use a sword?”

“Why would you want a sword when you have lasers?”

“Because of the fun, obviously. Isn't that the only reason to do anything around here?”

“True. I'm not sure sword training counts as fun. It's a lot of hard work and you will most likely fall on your rear repeatedly.”

“Are you saying you wouldn't enjoy seeing that?”

“I would. But only if you promise not to get grumpy about it. And if you start behaving like the pain in the arse you proclaim yourself to be, I reserve the right to stop training immediately.”

“I'll try to restrain myself.” 

He had to do more restraining himself than expected. Loki wielding a sword was a level of hotness he had not anticipated. His bearing was regal, his movements swift and precise. Oh, and he also stripped off some of that green and black leather and worked in a loose, emerald undershirt that opened a little at the neck. More than once Tony got hit because his eyes were focussed on a glimpse of collar bones instead of whatever Loki was showing him.

But he did learn the basics fairly quickly. He wasn't starting from scratch, after all. He just had to adapt the fighting styles he already knew, and get used to the weight of the sword. 

Every time he thought he was getting somewhere, Loki would do something new to prove that he still had a great deal to learn. But lying on his back, looking up at the deity standing over him, all tallness and strength, never failed to get his blood racing and he would get up and start all over again.

“Enough!” Loki declared after one particularly drawn out afternoon of training. 

“I’m not even tired,” Tony countered.

“Perhaps not, but your concentration is frayed to shreds, and you’re disgustingly sweaty. We should go for a swim to cool down.”

For a moment Tony froze, choking back the “But I didn’t pack a bathing suit” line, because he was not quite ready for what the answer might be.

Loki started pulling off his boots and stared at the way his mouth opened and closed wordlessly. “Is there a problem? You do know how to swim, don’t you? Or perhaps the Man of Iron has a tendency to sink.”

“I don’t sink, of course I know how to swim. And before you ask, yes, the Arc Reactor is fully waterproof.”

“Then why the hesitation?”

“You really have no idea?”

“You’re worried you won’t be able to keep your eyes from my divinely beautiful form?” he said, with a teasing smirk.

But Tony wasn’t laughing.

He let the smile fall and stood in front of him as he slowly removed his shirt.

Tony got a glimpse of abdomen first- a pale, narrow waist, with lightly chiseled stomach muscles and a thin trail of dark hair leading down from his belly-button. Then there was the broadening of his chest, the subtle definition of his pectorals, and the fabric was thrown aside, leaving his shoulders, arms and torso exposed.

“Oh… my… God…”

“Are you ready to fall before me now?”

“I…” Before he started dating Pepper, he would have known exactly what to say when someone this attractive took their clothes off in front of him. It would have involved compliments and suggestions, and then a lot less talking and a lot more doing. But this was Loki. And he still wasn't even sure that he wasn't just doing this a laugh. Also, this wasn’t how this was supposed to go. They weren't quite there yet.

“I do hope I haven't broken you. I know I'm magnificent and you wouldn't be the first person to turn senseless at the sight of me, but I expected a bit more resilience from you, I must admit.”

“I…” he repeated, cleared his throat and tried again. “You are. Magnificent, I mean. You are smart and amusing and imaginative and gorgeous and wild and I have every intention of falling down to worship you in ways that haven't even been invented yet, but not like this. This… us… is never going to be just a quick roll in the hay, or in the sand or whatever. We have forever. I don't want to rush, I plan to enjoy every last moment, every first time, every step we take towards each other. Because I know where we're headed, now.”

“And where, pray tell, would that be?”

Their eyes caught one another, and he realised from his gentle smile that Loki knew it too. “How long have you been playing this game with me?”

“Now now, you know that it can't be measured in days.”

“But you've sensed it- this thing between us. Since when?”

“I believe I first felt an inkling of it when I saw you blast my brother with his own lightning. I think I was the only person here who wasn't surprised by your arrival.”

“Huh.”

“So if you want to keep taking things slow, I have the patience of a glacier, my dear Man of Iron.” He lifted his hand and traced a single finger along the line of Tony’s jaw, scraping through rough beard. “In the meantime,” and he gestured downwards, conjuring them both into shorts and T-shirts of their favoured colours, “let's play and have fun as we always do.”

Tony finally remembered how to breathe as Loki turned and ran towards the waves. He watched for a moment, filled with wonder, and then followed.

The water was cold and any worries he had about his body getting ahead of him instantly vanished. It was refreshing though, and it cooled him to the bones. Loki made his way quickly into the deeper water, and Tony followed until his feet were barely touching the sand beneath. It occurred to him that he ought to be wary of undercurrents, but he dismissed the thought. Where would such currents go except to lead back here?

Of course Loki splashed at him. He splashed back. They played at floating, trying to catch each other with water in the face at unexpected moments. They raced each other towards the cliffs- Loki won but not by so much as to embarrass his friend. Tony wondered how much he held back. When he caught up, the Trickster was waiting, and dived underwater to grab at Tony’s knees and pull him beneath the waves.

The sheer panic came out of nowhere. He jerked wildly, struggling to break free, kicking at whatever it was that held him. All he knew was that he needed to escape, to get back to the surface. His captor had let go of his legs, but he was still trying to get hold of his arms. He thrashed around, sinking deeper, knowing he was going in the wrong direction but unable to stop. Something darted behind him and grabbed at his shirt. He was being pulled again- taken- and tried desperately to get away. It didn't help. But then his face broke through and he had air at last. He took two blissful lungfuls before he started sinking again. He kept struggling, but the hands refused to let him go, and then there was an arm around his chest. It slowly dawned on him that the arm was helping, keeping his head above water. 

“Tony, Tony, be still, it's me, I've got you.”

He thrashed again, the panic still with him, but the arm holding him was strong and it refused to let go. He knew that voice.

“It's all right, you're safe now. There's nothing to be afraid of here. Be still.”

He stopped struggling, but his heart was still racing. The water moved around him, the voice kept speaking gently, serene, and before long he found he was sitting on solid ground, cradled against Loki's chest, waves lapping at his toes. He sat up, shaking, and glared. “That was not what I call fun.”

He didn't see the look of genuine concern on Loki's face. He didn't see much of anything except the remnants of his own fear and the humiliation that was being heaped on top of it. 

“I'm sorry. Truly. I had no idea that would happen.”

“Something you might want to make a note of: I like oxygen, kinda important stuff, and I don't take well to having it taken away from me.”

“Not as important as you might think. Not anymore, at least.”

Tony breathed deeply. “If you dare start throwing Morpheus fucking ‘You think that's air’ mind games at me right now I swear by your Dad I will blast you harder than when we first met.”

Loki grinned. “It was quite a spectacular first impression.”

“Don't-” he stood up. “I can't do this right now. I need breathing space. I need…” he paced back and forth, trying to work off the adrenalin. “I need space. I'll come back.” It was all he could manage. Loki would understand. He suited up and leapt into the sky.

He felt like an idiot, and a coward for running away, but he knew I'd if he stayed he would get angry and say something he'd regret. And then he'd be a tool on top of everything else. He flew above the clouds, further and higher than he'd gone before. He was starting to feel more settled when JARVIS’ voice came through internal speakers. “I'm getting some strange readings, sir.”

“What do you mean?”

“I want to tell you that atmospheric pressure is dropping or oxygen levels in the surrounding air are below recommended levels, but that wouldn't be entirely correct.”

“JARVIS?”

“I believe we may be nearing the edge, sir.”

“You mean I'm about to go into space? Already?”

“No. There is no space. Just the edge of the sky, and then nothing. Not even the void of space.”

Tony levelled off and decided that it might be a good idea to descend for a while. Now was not the time to play with the edges of his reality. Maybe later though. He went back below the cloud layer, noticing that he was still uncomfortably wet under his suit, and looked for a place to land. Something glittered in a clearing in the forest below. Probably just water, but it was shiny and well, as good a place as any. When he got closer he saw it was a stream _-fast and wide enough to run a water wheel-_ his brain supplied, and that got him thinking. He could build something. The clearing was big enough for some kind of cabin, a place he could run to when he needed quiet. 

No, not a cabin, a longhouse. Loki would like that. 

And immediately he could see it- a workshop at one end, but open so that Loki would never feel like he couldn't interrupt whenever he wanted. A fire in the middle for warmth. Instead of animals at the other end, he'd make an enormous bed so they could do all the things he was trying not to think about yet.

They wouldn't live there all the time, but it could be a place they could retreat to when they wanted some privacy. Their own place. Loki would tell him off for leaving his shit everywhere. They could sleep curled up in each other’s arms. They could build and experiment and play.

He could build them a home.

It turns out, lasers are pretty awesome at cutting timber.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yes, I changed the rating. Be patient, they will get there.


	7. Chapter 7

Loki kept telling himself that Tony would be back, but his absence stretched out until he felt like he wanted to tear at his skin. There was no way to measure the time that had passed, but he was growing increasingly worried that things had gone very wrong. He wondered if he should go looking, in spite of the fact that Tony had requested space, but he also didn't want to make things any worse than they already were.

It had been so simple before, just enjoying each other's company. The intellectual fencing, the casual insults, the lazy, secretive flirting. Had he pushed too far? Panic and rage like that don't just happen. But he hadn't even _done_ anything, not really. And now his favourite human was probably going to spend the rest of eternity hiding out in the mountains.

So he decided, in order to pass the time (ha!) and not go out of his mind (again) with worry, he was going to get drunk. Very drunk. God levels of drunk. Maybe Tony Stark would get back before he did anything too drastic.

At some point it seemed like a good idea to have a brawl or two. He had laid ten warriors on their backs with little effort and was starting to get bored when the blue-eyed shield maiden approached him. “What have you done with your Iron Pet, Loki?”

He glared. But he was weaving slightly, and it didn't have quite the intended effect.

“Come on, let's get you some fresh air.”

“It's not even real air!” Loki moaned. “One does not need to breathe when one is dead!”

“Perhaps not, but the breeze is pleasant. Walk with me.”

“I am your God, Lagertha, you can't order me around.”

“Then perhaps I could persuade you in some other fashion,” she said with a smile that would have had any other warrior begging at her feet.

“Not interested,” he huffed, as he wrestled his way back into his leather armour.

She straightened. “You're that far gone on him are you?”

“What? Who?”

“Your Man of Iron. The one whose side you never leave. The one who always makes you smile.”

“I'm not smiling now. I've lost him, and I fear he's never coming back.”

She hooked her arms through his elbow and he didn't resist when she dragged him outside.

“He's coming back,” she assured him as they settled down on the sand. 

“You can't be sure.”

“He's coming back,” she repeated more sternly. “I have seen the way he looks at you. The way you look at him. Truly, watching the two of you grow closer has been one of the most delightful things that's happened here in what feels like centuries.”

“We had strong words.”

“It happens. You'll get over it. Welcome to married life.”

“Are you mocking me?”

“No, not at all. I'm merely pointing out that two such strong personalities will have their differences from time to time, but that doesn't mean that either of you stop caring or that everything is over. Just promise me that if you ever get to the stage of trying to blow each other up, you do it far enough away from the hall that no-one else gets caught in the crossfire.”

“That's presuming he ever comes back.”

Lagertha smiled and pointed up at the sky, where a blur of crimson was slowing growing closer. 

“He _is_ coming back.”

 

Tony hesitated briefly when he saw Loki sitting on the beach with a woman, a twist of jealousy in his gut. By the time he’d circled round a little lower, she was walking away, and he came down to the ground, put away the suit and walked to Loki. He was drinking straight from the wineskin, legs bent in front of him, his arms leaning on his knees, looking very much like a dejected spider. One who might spit venom at any moment. “Hey,” he sat down, mirroring his position. “Is something wrong?”

Loki stared at the sand, but he was too drunk to be bothered to hide the truth. “You were gone a long time. I wasn’t sure if you were coming back.”

“Why wouldn’t I?”

The look of guilt as his eyes turned up to meet Tony’s was heart-wrenching. 

“Loki… I’m not going anywhere. I got distracted, that’s all. It happens, and I’m sorry.”

“I hurt you. I’m still not sure how, but you left, and…”

“That- that wasn’t your fault. I freaked out, I got embarrassed about it.”

“So I scared you? Because of what I said… about us?”

“What? No, this has nothing to do with that. Sometimes I get flashbacks, it hasn’t happened in a really long time, but they pop up on me every so often, apparently even now.”

“I don’t understand.”

“Okay, confession time. After the invasion, things got really rough for a while. And when I say rough, I mean super king-size fucked up. I wasn’t coping with all the things I’d seen; the universe was a lot bigger and scarier than I thought. I was… unravelling. My mind and my body started playing tricks on me, feeling like I was constantly in danger, imagining I was back in that moment. Nightmares, too. I got better, mostly, in the end. I hadn’t had a panic attack like that in years. Something about being underwater, not being able to breathe, that feeling of powerlessness… set me off. It’s not your fault.”

Loki leaned towards him. “Except, it is, isn’t it? Everything that you’ve just described, was a direct result of events that I set in motion. Would it mean anything at all if I said I’m sorry?”

“Are you?”

“Let’s just say I was going through a… what was it you called it? Super king-size fuck up of my own. I might not have been thinking entirely straight.”

Tony smirked. “Your plan wasn’t entirely without flaws.”

“I hadn’t anticipated you and your friends.” His fingers reached towards Tony’s, tangling together. “I’m glad you were there to stop me, in the end.”

Tony took a trembling breath, caressing Loki’s hand with his thumb. There was something very intimate in the gesture, and in the way they were opening up to each other. “I don’t think I would have been ready for what came after, if it weren’t for you.”

They sat there, holding hands, listening to the waves, for what might have been a hundred years, or perhaps just five minutes.

“Where did you fly off to, anyway? What kept you away from me for so long?”

“I discovered something. A new project.”

Loki stretched out on his back without letting go. “What kind of a project?”

“A surprise. Something for us. It’s going to need a lot more work before it’s finished though.”

“Does that mean you’ll fly away again?” His fingers tightened, as if trying to hold him right there.

“Yes, but not right now. And I promise to let you know before I go. You can send up a flare or something if you miss me too much, and I’ll come straight back.”

“A flare?”

“A big smoky light in the sky,” Tony laid back close beside him, looking up into the twilight.

“Like this?” Loki waved his arm- the one that wasn't still attached to the man beside him- and words of emerald fire appeared in the sky: _Return to your God._

Tony laughed. “Yes. That’s it, exactly.” He rolled onto his side to gaze at Loki’s face. He kept their eyes fixed together as he lifted his hand, and softly pressed his God’s fingers to his lips. Loki inhaled deeply, relishing the moment, the pounding in his chest, the heat of those lips on his skin, the way Tony's beard tickled his knuckles. Tony's eyes were filled with hope and the promise of more to come. He drank in the affection, letting it fill the places where his soul had been torn open, the doubts that told him he had never belonged.

He felt the movement on his hand as Tony spoke. “You're stuck with me, sweetheart, whether you like it or not.”

“I like it,” he replied softly. He leant forward and kissed Tony’s hand, lingering and trying to fill it with all of the things that he didn't know how to put into words. They lay like that for as long as they dared, which was quite some time for two brave heroes.

At some point they lay back and realised that the stars had come out. And yet they stayed, holding hands, because there was nothing better either of them could imagine to do.

 

Tony woke first, his cheek resting on Loki’s upper arm, their hands still linked together. He didn’t move until Loki opened his eyes. “Hi. Nice sleep?”

“Mmmm. I may have overdone the wine. Luckily there’s no hangovers here.”

“How much do Asgardians have to drink before you get hungover?”

“Vast quantities. Unfortunately my constitution was never quite as strong as theirs. I suffered terribly before I learned to pace myself.”

“What do you mean, ‘theirs’?”

“Because I’m adopted. What else would I mean?”

“So, you’re not actually Asgardian?”

Loki sat up, his brow furrowed. “How do you not know this already?”

“I guess your brother never mentioned it.”

“He didn’t talk about me much, then?”

“Oh, no- he did, believe me, I have heard _many_ of your childhood escapades, which, thinking about it, actually explains a lot, and I may have heard a rumour about the adopted part, but he neglected to mention you were from a completely different race. How does that work, then?”

Loki picked up a handful of sand, watching it fall through his fingers. “Odin took me when I was a baby. My real father was King of the Frost Giants.”

“You mean, your biological father. Odin’s the real deal, he already gave me The Talk and everything.”

“Why does it sound like that’s a particular conversation?”

“Because it is. A very particular one. If I mess things up again, he may even smite me. He cares about you a lot, you know.”

Loki smiled. “I know that now. Though it took a while to learn the truth of it.” He looked back. “It doesn’t bother you then?”

“That you’re adopted? Why would it?”

“The Jotunn do not have quite so harmonious a history with the people of Midgard.”

“You know, I never was all that great at history class. I was much more interested in the future, in science. So to me, it’s just a case of instead having a thing with guy from freaky alien race A, I have a thing with guy from freaky alien race B.”

“So, we have a thing?”

“Yes, Loki. We have a thing. I have no idea what to call it yet, but it’s definitely a thing.”

He gave a thoughtful look. “Surely that would make you a freaky alien to me as well?”

“Naturally. Does it bother you that I’m human? I mean, we’re tiny and fragile, and we have such short lives. I could drop down dead at any moment.”

Loki’s grin lit up his entire face, his eyes twinkling. “Okay, so you might be a little bit funnier that I gave you credit for.”

“Only a little bit, huh?”

“Don’t push your luck.”

“So breakfast? I want to load up on carbs and not worry about getting fat and having to adjust the suit. Also I can tell myself that it’s energy for more sword training.”

“You still want to train?”

“Sure. I want to master everything, just in case your brother ever turns up and I have to fight to defend your honour or some crap like that.”

“Why would you need to… no. I don’t think I want you to answer that. If my brother ever turns up, you can fight him as often as you wish.”

Tony laughed. “We could tag-team. That would totally mess him up. So, I guess I should keep practising. I’ve got, what, fifteen hundred years worth of experience to catch up on?”

“I know it might seem like it, but he wasn’t actually born with a hammer in his hand. Still...”

“What?”

“It’s a good job we’ve got eternity.”

“Shut up. Let’s go eat.”


	8. Chapter 8

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a note to say a big thank you to everyone who has commenting, kudossing (nom nom nom tasty kudos brunch), bookmarking, and subscribing!  
> You all make me a very happy fairy! <3

Tony had wrestled seventy-five of those chosen from among the slain. He was now winning more often than not, but he wasn't sure if another twenty-five bouts would bring up to the standard required to defeat a God.

His God.

Because whatever else was going on between them, it was becoming increasingly clear to the Man of Iron that Loki was something more than just someone with powers that seemed like magic. The Vikings treated him differently than they did each other- not the kind of fear or reverence he'd seen in religious groups in twenty-first century earth, but a genuine respect, a sincere devotion and perhaps, for some of them, just a little bit of awe.

And Loki didn't precisely look down on them, but he had a sense of his own, very real, superiority. He seemed to enjoy the way they deferred to his wisdom and acknowledged his skill. 

He wasn't like that with Tony. He treated him as an equal- most of the time. And when he didn't, Tony was there with a quick retort to put him in his place. But still… he felt like he was going through a kind of conversion experience. The word adoration kept floating around in his head. But if what he was feeling was a type of worship, it was a very personal kind. Just being around him, holding hands, exchanging secret caresses, was enough.

Because they were secretive. It took Tony a while to notice it, but Loki only ever took his hand in private, only gave him those tender touches when no one else was looking. He tested his theory once he'd realised, and when he was sure he waited for a quiet moment as they strolled through the forest to ask him about it.

“Are you ashamed of us?”

“Not at all. Why would you think that?”

“Because you're avoiding every hint of PDA.”

Loki came to a halt and gave him one of those “stop talking in riddles” looks he used when Tony got carried away with colloquialisms.

“Public displays of affection.” He rubbed his thumb across Loki's knuckles. “You never let me do this if anyone else is watching.”

“Of course not. It's none of their business. This-” he placed his hand on Tony’s cheek, “-is just for us. Every time I touch you is precious and I would not cheapen it with a gaping audience.”

Tony decided he needed to get on with finishing the house, and soon. Then they could have as much time as they wanted, just the two of them. “Will it always be like this?”

“No. In time, we will have ...stronger ways of expressing our affection, which will be most private, and very enjoyable. But for now, this is what we have and I want to keep it just for us. Besides, our courtship isn't exactly a secret. I'm fairly sure everyone has noticed by now.”

“Courtship?”

“Yes. Don't you like the term?”

“It's a little old fashioned is all.”

“By your standards, I am ancient,” he smirked. “Do you have another word for it?”

“Dating?”

“Surely dating implies a more physical relationship. With actual kissing and suchlike.”

“True. Courtship it is. For now.”

Loki seemed slightly disappointed, as if Tony had missed a not-too-subtle hint. “Very well. But not forever.”

“What happened to the patience of a glacier?”

“I think it's melting.”

 

Once the idea of kissing had been spoken out loud, it refused to stay burrowed deep in Tony’s brain and kept popping up its head to distract him. As he was working on the house, he would start to imagine Loki being there, and would find himself daydreaming about what they might get up to in their secluded home. He would fall on his back during sword training, Loki would grasp his arm to pull him up again, and the two would linger, breathing heavily, faces close but not quite close enough. They would sit side by side on the sand, under the stars, and every time it almost seemed like the perfect moment Tony would just chicken out and say the first random thing that came into his head to break the tension.

Loki was struggling to contain to his increasing frustration. Patience was all very well, but they were past the point of enjoying the anticipation. He knew they belonged together, he knew that it was going to happen sooner or later, but his body very much wanted it to be sooner. Every time they got close, he would feel a strange longing, more than just the physical sensations. He wanted Tony close. He wanted to know that what they had was real, to feel that he truly belonged to someone as he never had while he was alive. He wanted intimacy. 

So he handed Tony a cold beer and challenged those assembled in the hall to a brawl, to try and burn off some steam. Ragnar was the first to accept, and the two warriors stripped to the waist. That got Tony’s attention immediately. Within a few minutes, Loki had knocked Ragnar’s feet out from under him and sprang back as he hit the floor. He paced around with arms held wide, and another competitor quickly took Ragnar’s place. He lasted a little longer, blocking as Loki tried to grab at his shoulders, but then the Trickster shifted suddenly, put an arm behind his opponent’s knee, and lifted until he fell backwards. The third and fourth combatants fared no better. Then Lagertha stepped up. Loki grinned. He toyed with her a little more, letting her get a grip on him and push him around a bit before shifting his weight to knock her over. Lagertha, however, kept her hold, taking him with her, and refused to let go. As Loki tried to wiggle free, she hooked her legs around one of his knees. They struggled together, neither quite getting enough of an advantage to stand up first and win the bout. With a loud grunt, she gave a great push and switched, getting on top of him and pushing his face into the dirt. But this seemed to be what he was waiting for, as it left his leg free. He quickly got onto his hands and knees beneath her, pulled her arm from around his neck and lurched as he stood, tipping her onto her back and rising to his feet.

He stood there, arms raised, victorious, his chest and brow glistening with sweat, his shoulders rising and falling with his heaving breaths. He shook Lagertha’s hand as he helped her back to her feet, and then his eyes fixed on Tony. Who seemed to be having a few difficulties getting enough oxygen. Who was also fighting the urge to jump Loki’s bones right there in the middle of the hall of the dead. There was only one way to deal with the rising heat all over his skin, the rising… _Oh God._ He stood and left the room before it became too awkward to do so. He only seemed to grow hotter as he stepped into the cool, evening air, and without thinking he suited up and flew up into the forest.

He didn’t go to the house, though it was nearly done. He didn’t go too far at all, just enough to make sure he was alone. The image on Loki half-naked and pinned to the ground echoed in his mind, but in this version it was Tony who was sprawled over him, skin against skin… He retracted the armour and leaned head and arm against a tree, his right hand moving towards his belt to find himself some relief.

“I thought you weren’t going to do that again?” a voice behind him filled him with sudden shame and simultaneously made his need throb even harder.

It took Tony a moment to realise what that he wasn’t talking about what he was about to do, and that he possibly hadn’t even noticed what the intention was. Fortunately, he hadn’t quite gotten as far as undoing his pants. “Right. Zooming off. Bad. Sorry.” He tried desperately to get things back under control before he turned around, but it wasn’t working, so he tapped the reactor. It wasn’t the most comfortable solution, but at least it hid his current predicament. He left the helmet off though.

“Are you quite all right?”

“I will be. I just needed some air. Things were getting a little steamy back there. How did you get here so fast?”

“Magic,” Loki grinned.

“Is that how you found me, too? With magic?”

Now it was Loki’s turn to look slightly abashed. “I may have run out after you and seen you disappearing into the sky. You promised you wouldn’t go off without telling me.” His voice was stern.

“I know, I wasn’t thinking, I was…” Would Loki even understand the term monster raging hard-on?

“Burning with unparalleled lust at the sight of me, I hope.” A flirtatious smile played at the corners of his mouth.

Tony licked his lips. “Yeah. Pretty much.”

“Take off the armour. I don’t want you hiding behind it.”

Tony wasn't usually the one taking the orders, but Loki was accustomed to commanding and something about his tone made him comply. 

Loki looked him up and down. “That's impressive. If I had known it would have that effect I would have started a fight sooner.”

“You knew exactly the effect it would have, isn't that why you did it?”

Loki took a step towards him. “What were you about to do?”

“I think you know. Unless you guys don't do that in Asgard.”

“What surprises me is that you should want to do it alone.”

“I don't. But it felt kinda urgent. Honestly, I was just looking for a way to take the edge off.”

“Have you noticed how the food tastes so much better here, how the wine tastes sweeter? How much more satisfying do you think it will feel when you reach your climax?”

Tony’s hands clenched into fists at his sides as Loki moved closer still.

“I want to be there when you taste it for the first time. I want to see your face as you dissolve into ecstasy. I want to draw it out of you, time and again, until you fall before me and declare me your one true God.”

A small, strangled noise was all Tony could manage. Unable to contain himself any longer, he reached up to grab that smirking face and draw him in for a kiss. Loki’s image barely wavered as his hands passed straight through and he stumbled forward, grabbing a tree branch before he crashed into it. 

The Trickster laughed, loud and heartily. Tony growled in frustration, but he wasn't angry, not really. That was just Loki, being true to his nature.

“I did tell you I was using magic,” he chuckled. “Although I'm almost sorry I'm not really here, I imagine that kiss would have been quite extraordinary.”

“It will be. Get your perfect ass up here and I'll show you.”

“Find another way to cool your blood, Man of Iron. Perhaps you should engage in a brawl or two of your own. How many are you up to now?”

“Eighty six.”

“Keep going.” And his image vanished.

Tony considered what he'd said and decided that his urges would have to wait. 

He walked down the mountainside to ease some of the tension. The more he thought of Loki, the faster he got, until he was jogging at a steady pace. His God was waiting for him under the golden tree, his back against the trunk. Tony slowed as he got closer, catching his breath, and then Loki was coming towards him, wrapping him in his arms, inhaling his scent. Faces were buried into necks, clinging to one another as though they would never let go. At last Loki gripped his shoulders tightly and moved him back just far enough that they could look at each other. Tony held his head in both hands, caressing, fingertips twisting into long, dark hair. He wanted to say something clever, to make the moment memorable, but his mind had gone completely blank. So instead he just inched closer until their lips brushed with feather lightness. 

It was like a supernova going off inside his chest.

He did it again, gentle, and gentle, and then more firmly. Loki pressed against him and let out a tiny, soft whimper that made Tony feel like he was dying all over again. Their mouths opened at the same time, tongues seeking and exploring, the physical sensations beautiful but paling into insignificance behind the overwhelming emotions that accompanied them. It was as if, in that moment, their souls found a way to be welded together. It was warmth, joy and brightness, the beginning of completeness and the end of doubt. It was too much intensity, and they came apart, gasping; their foreheads pressed together, eyes searching deeply. Still, there were no words to be found that could compare to that moment of union.

Except Tony would never stop being Tony. “Okay, now I _really_ need a cold beer.” 

“As a matter of fact, I think I wouldn’t object to one either.” His touch trailed down Tony’s arm and caught his hand to hold it as he turned towards the hall.

Tony looked down and smiled. “So we’re doing this in public, now?”

“I’m hardly going to let you go after that, my dear Man of Iron.”

“Okay, good, just checking. Does this qualify as dating, now? Do I get to call you my boyfriend?”

“No, you most certainly do not.” 

“But we are dating?”

“I suppose so. Why?”

“I’ve never dated a God before. I like it already.”

“Trust me, it’s going to get a lot better.”

“You might be in for a surprise or two yourself.”

“I look forward to finding out.”


	9. Chapter 9

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm giving you two chapters today, because this one it short, and it got a bit sad. But it had be done anyway, and the fluff continues next chapter.

Kissing Tony Stark was strangely addictive. It made Loki feel things he had rarely felt before. Like valued, cherished and pure. They would find a quiet spot in the forest and sit there, making out like teenagers, until their lips were plump and sore. Every time it became a bit more difficult to break apart. But break apart they did, with hearts pumping and loins aching and skin feeling like it was on fire. Loki wasn’t quite sure why they kept waiting, but it felt right to do so. The yearning was delicious, an appetiser to be enjoyed before the main course of the feast.

Something else that was delicious was watching Tony wrestle. Many of his opponents may have been strong, but he was quick on his feet and he always sought the tactical advantage. He could also take a battering without complaint, waiting it out until the other man made a mistake, and then shifting around to break free and be first back on his feet. Loki was always ready to reward his victory with a cold beer. They would sit side by side, talking about life and death and wondering about the people they’d left behind. Sometimes Tony would start to get melancholy, but Loki would always find a way to make him smile again.

Almost always. One night, nothing seemed to be distracting him from thoughts of his family. Loki took him out to walk across the sand, letting him talk until he was overcome with it, and then holding him as the grief poured out and he fell into a heap on the sand.

“You have to let them go,” he said, when the worst of it had passed. “They are strong, and they will have their own lives, their own adventures.”

“But I won’t be there to protect them.”

“Why should they not protect themselves? You have left them a legacy. Your daughter is also made of iron, because she is made of you.”

“I’m not really made of iron. My innards are as squishy as anyone else’s.”

“When I call you ‘Man of Iron’ I’m not just referring to your suit. I have seen you stand strong and fearless in the face of a God. I have seen you take enormous risks to protect others, and you gave your life to save the _entire universe._ You may well be the mightiest hero there is. Even in death, you remain undefeated. I call you Man of Iron for your inner strength, your courage and your determined integrity.” His hand came to rest on the glowing circle in Tony’s chest. “There is more than one kind of light inside you. Your daughter will know this, she will inherit it.”

“You know what else she’ll inherit? A fortune. All my research. An AI who knows me and how I think. And her own set of purple armour. Nanotech, of course, so it can grow with her. I hid it in the workshop, so she’ll definitely find it.”

“So you know she’ll be just fine. Better than fine. And if she has half your brains, she’ll be finding her own ways to keep the entire planet safe.”

“I bet she will. I’ll still miss her though.”

“Your love for her will never cease. And she will always love you. You have given her the world.”

“I just hope that’s enough.”

“It will be.”


	10. Chapter 10

Tony considered why he always felt so out of breath after a wrestling match, when he didn’t actually need to breath. Right now, his chest was expanding and contracting, his body telling him he was thirsty, and there was even sweat on his brow. But none of that made any sense because he was dead, and oxygen and water were no longer required. He knew because he’d tried holding his breath and easily managed for six tracks from his playlist and was getting bored but not uncomfortable. His theory was that it was just his new body’s way of communicating- expressing feelings in the way that he understood, doing it out of habit as much as anything else.

So he took a deep, refreshing breath of not-really-air and helped his ninety-ninth opponent back up to his feet. The cheers and applause would never get old, but when it went strangely quiet, he stopped and turned. Odin was walking into the space, taking off his coat. Holy shit.

“Will you accept my challenge, Man of Iron?”

“I think I better. I mean, it would be rude not to, right?”

“Indeed. And you would not wish to offend me would you?”

Tony swallowed. “No, sir.”

“Would you also agree to a wager?”

“On what terms?”

“I haven’t had a proper brawl in a long time. So perhaps, if I give you proper incentive, you will fight me without restraint. If you fall too quickly, you will serve me at this table until I tire of you. If you can take me down with you, I will have three of my finest warriors each fetch you one thing you desire. If you best me,” he paused, glancing to the table where Loki sat supping wine, “you may take the hand of my son with my complete blessing.”

Now there was an offer. At least it would be, if he stood a chance of winning. But then again, Tony was never one to shy from a challenge. He held out his hand. “Let’s do it.”

The Allfather shook his hand and came straight for him, narrowly missing a grip as Tony ducked quickly, reflexes he had honed in years of boxing coming to his aid. Odin didn’t stop but reached for him again, one hand getting a hold on the back of his neck, the other tight on his shoulder. Tony knew what was coming next, but couldn’t brace himself in time as Odin’s foot caught behind his heel and he was pushed backwards. So instead of resisting the fall, he hugged his opponent’s chest and swung his own legs up to try and overbalance him. It worked. Odin fell on top of him, knocking the unnecessary air out of his lungs. They struggled for some time, Tony clinging on but unable to get into a position of advantage. It hurt like hell, but he couldn't give up. Not when the prize was Loki. It was an inspirational thought. _What would Loki do?_ So he feigned vulnerability, loosening his grip so that Odin tried to rise, and with the weight taken off him, he quickly grabbed him behind the knee and sent him toppling back down. He climbed onto him, putting all his weight into the hold, but he knew, even as the crowd cheered, that it would never be enough. Odin rolled, pressing him into the ground, and still Tony twisted and pushed back. Something wrenched in his shoulder and he yelled and his arm went limp. He freed the other and used it to grasp at Odin’s face, pushing until one of his fingers slipped under the eye-patch, disturbed at the feeling of a few stray eye-lashes. He kicked wildly at the dirt, trying to get some leverage with his feet, but nothing was working. Then he heard Loki’s voice raised about the cheers- “Father, please! You’re going to break him!” Something in Odin’s face changed- a smile played the corner of his and he suddenly stopped pushing. With a wild shove, Tony pushed him off, and Odin just lay there hands raised in surrender. Tony staggered to his feet. The roar was deafening. He remembered just in time to hold out his hand, and the Father of the Gods took it.

“Why?” he asked as they stood together. 

“Because I have never seen Loki as happy as he is with you, in life or in death. Also, it's not often I find him showing concern for the well-being of another. I think you will be good for him.”

“You have my deepest appreciation, Allfather.”

“How's that arm?”

Tony winced. “It smarts a little, I'll be honest.”

Odin took his arm, touched his shoulder, and lifted the joint painlessly back into place.

“Huh. How'd you do that?”

“I am a God. I do have a few tricks. Now, go to my son, he's terribly on edge by the look of things, you might need to reassure him. And you need rest before your next bout. Go, play.”

He expected Loki to be full of questions, but he appeared to be in a kind of shock that left him mute and gaping. Tony picked up a drink and took him outside.

“You just… how? What… did you…?”

Tony decided the simplest answer was just to kiss him again, long and deep. And Loki forgot all about his questions.

Some time later, as he lay with Loki's head resting on his belly, Tony pointed out that he had now completed the required one hundred matches.

“Indeed. Although I had never expected that you would best my Father.”

“I didn't really. He just changed his mind and let me win. Does this mean I get to wrestle you now?”

“I suppose that was the deal. Though I can't promise how I'll behave once I've got you squirming around beneath me.”

“How do you know it's going to be you on top?”

“Because, my dear Man of Iron, I am always on top,” he promised, with a sultry, slithering tone that went straight to Tony's groin and made its residence there.

“There is one more thing I'd like to do before we fight though,” he went on.

“Oh?”

“There's a place somewhere on the other side of the mountains. Many here left family behind too, those who weren't taken by the Valkyrie. They have their own place- the Field of the Host. We can’t get there, but there is a shrine to honour them. I would like to go there and pay my respects.” He reached out and took Tony’s hand. “It would mean a great deal of you came with me.”

“Of course I will. But there's something important about this place that you're not telling me.”

Loki nodded. “Yes. But it is nothing that can threaten you. And I will tell you when the time is right.”

“Come here,” Tony said with a wave of his fingers, and Loki adjusted his position so they were face to face. “First, I trust you. I know that you wouldn’t put me in danger unless it was important. Second, I’m not scared, I’m concerned. Something is troubling you, and if you don’t talk to me about it, I can’t help, and that bugs the hell out of me.”

“So trust me. I promise, you’ll find out soon enough, but not here. And you’re already helping just by being at my side.” There was a look in his eyes that proved just how precious that knowledge was to him, something that told him this was not a gift that Loki had known often in his life. And it made him love him even more.

It was love, he realised. He hadn’t used that particular word, not even in his head, even though he knew that they were destined for each other. _I love Loki, _he thought, mentally testing it. Of course he did. Why else would he be building them a home? Why else would he be reaching for him every minute of every day, not letting the night come until he was wrapped in Loki’s arms? Why else would he be waiting for… well, to make love? It was going to happen after the brawl, and they both knew it. That’s why Loki had asked for this first. It was significant.__

__“So when do we leave?”_ _

__“We’ll need a few provisions. It’s a fair way.”_ _

__“I could always suit up and just fly you there.” Loki looked at him like he’d just blasphemed. “What, you don’t want to be Lois Lane?”_ _

__“Whoever that is, no. Clearly you are a wanton heathen,” he said with a smile, “so I’ll explain. It’s a pilgrimage, Tony Stark, the journey is important.”_ _

__“I’m not a _total_ heathen. There is one particular God I’m quite fond of,” he teased._ _

__“So you admit that I’m a God now?”_ _

__“You may have a few God-like qualities.”_ _

__“You should show more reverence, mortal.” It was the kind of thing he used to say in the beginning, and back then he would have meant it. Now he said it in jest, playfully._ _

__Tony curled his arms around his chest and pulled him in close. “You like my irreverence, it makes a refreshing change. You think you want everyone to bow before you, but even you would get bored of that eventually.”_ _

__“Not for an exceptionally long time.”_ _

__“Okay, let me try this.” He cleared his throat. “Oh my Lord Loki-” and immediately fell into fits of laughter. “No, it’s no good, I can’t do it.”_ _

__Loki smiled. “My true followers would not honour me like that anyway. I am the God of mischief; I revel in chaos.”_ _

__“Oh, well, that explains why you like me so much.”_ _

__“It's one reason.”_ _

__“What are the others? Please tell me. In detail.”_ _

__“Your courage. Your humour. Most of all, your enormous brain. I admire you and I enjoy spending time with you.”_ _

__Tony stared in disbelief. He hadn't been expecting so honest an answer. Loki smirked and kissed him. “And because when I'm with you, I no longer feel like an outsider. I never feel alone.”_ _

__“Loki, I promise, you never need to feel alone ever again. You're mine; you belong with me, until the end of everything.”_ _

__“Until the stars go out and the mountains fall and Fenrir swallows everything, including my Father. That's how the legend goes. I sometimes wonder if everyone here is only nice to me because they're worried that I might go fetch an army of giants to start a battle that will end the World.”_ _

__“You won't. It's just some prophecy that a bunch of humans made up a long time ago.”_ _

__“You can't be sure. Asgard is already gone.”_ _

__“You won't because I won't let you. Because I am going to make you so happy that you'll have no reason to. Besides, saving the world is kinda my job. And I'm fucking good at it.”_ _

__“You are, aren't you?”_ _

__“Yes, I am. So trust me. I'm not leaving you.” They kissed once more, full of intensity, clutching each other with a need that was more than physical. Tony could feel Loki grow aroused, pressing hard against him. For a blissful moment, he pressed back, holding there for the space of a breath, and then quickly backed away. “We should get going.”_ _

__“Yes.” Loki took a moment to sit back and calm himself, knowing that he should feel a bit more guilty for taking advantage of the moment._ _

__“Hey, don't look so glum, Elsa, we are almost there,” he said as he offered his hand._ _

__“Who's Elsa?” Loki asked as he took it. He didn't need to ask where ‘there’ was anyway, it was quite clear that Tony was not making reference to the pilgrimage._ _


	11. Chapter 11

The air was cool but the sunlight was warm as they set off up the mountain. Loki had a bag of provisions slung over one shoulder, though Tony wasn't quite sure why they would need them. He hadn't been hungry since he got here, and if he did, surely there would be fresh food along the way. They walked hand in hand, into the trees and upwards. 

“Have you made this journey before?” Tony asked.

“Not yet. Many of the others have, more than once. Ragnar often goes to pay homage to his sons, not all of whom are here in Valhalla.”

“And is there someone particular that you want to remember?”

“Yes.”

He didn't elaborate, and Tony didn't press for an answer. He would find out soon enough. But Loki's face was taking on a grim look, so perhaps he could do with a distraction. “Would you like to hear how I worked out the time machine?” 

“Yes,” he said, his face softening into a half smile. “That sounds like quite the tale.”

So Tony chattered on, explaining how the idea came about and wouldn't leave him alone. He went into detail about his theories, and Loki asked good questions that got them into a scientific discussion that was immensely pleasurable for both. The sun hung in the sky as if it were the middle of the afternoon, and barely moved from its position until they neared the peak. It was getting colder all the time, and Tony began to notice a thin layer of crisp white snow underfoot.

“Hey are you going to start thinking I'm a total wuss if I tell you I'm starting to freeze my nuts off up here?”

“We're almost at the top, but it will get colder before it gets warmer.”

“I could suit up, but are you going to be okay?”

Loki chuckled. “One of the few advantages of my heritage. The cold never bothers me.”

_“Do you want to build a snow-man?”_ Tony sang.

“What? Is this another of your obscure references? Is snow crafting some sort of art form?”

Tony stopped in his tracks. “Yes, it's a reference. You are so Elsa. She's a queen with ice powers who goes off in a snit and makes her sister come rescue her. But until I can figure out how to add a movie projector to the suit, you'll have to wait to see it. Also I'll have to check what films JARVIS has on file.”

“Sounds like an epic adventure.”

“It sucked. Shrek was much better. So was the Lego movie. Which is why I never banned Morgan from the workshop.”

“One of these days you're going to start making sense and I'm going to die from the shock of it. Again.”

“Have you seriously never built a snowman?”

“What does the ritual involve, precisely?”

“It's not a ritual, it's fun. Snowball fight?”

“We fought the frost giants in the icy realms of Jot-”

“No! No. Just... no. We have to fix this right now.” With a tap of his fingers the armour spread over him. “Okay, now I'm not shivering, watch closely.” He picked up a handful of snow and pressed it into a ball, then took a few steps back and hurled it at Loki.

His eyes narrowed and one side of his mouth turned upwards. He held out his hand, palm downwards, and the snow flew up to meet it, collecting into a perfect sphere. Which hit Tony right in the face. Luckily, he had his mask on, but he still flinched and stepped back, metallic laughter ringing in the air. He quickly scrambled for more snow, but Loki's magic was too fast, and before he could get off a second shot, Iron Man was being mercilessly pelted with frozen projectiles. 

“You're right, this is a lot of fun,” Loki mused.

As he had the nano-suit on anyway, it was easy to bring up a shield to deflect them, and he scooped up more snow to get his retaliation.

It turned into the most epic snowball fight in history. Eventually they were running out of snow, the green grass showing through.

“I yield!” Tony shouted at last. “You are the Snow King and I bow to your superior power.”

“Prove it. Kneel before me!”

It was all part of the game but Tony did it anyway, glad that Loki couldn't see him licking his lips.

“How does it feel? Is this not your natural state?”

“Well, I don’t know about that, but the view is rather pleasant from down here.” He deliberately tilted his head to indicate the line of his gaze. Loki took a step closer, feeling the smooth, round metal that encased his head.

Tony felt a surge of desire, as if Loki were pulling his hair. Not to let him take all the control, he placed a gloved hand on Loki's waist, squeezing gently.

The mischief fell from Loki's face and he gasped. “You tempt me.”

“Good.” Two white slits of light gazed up at him. “Because you need to learn that you're not the only one with power here. I'll play along, but don't you ever start to believe that I am anything lesser.”

Loki joined him, kneeling, his long coat dangling in the slushy remains of their battle. “You will never be so. You are my equal, my partner, and if I ever make you feel otherwise you have permission to use your vast arsenal against me.” He took the helmet in both hands and kissed the golden face. Then he stood and pulled him to his feet. “Come on. Let's get somewhere warmer and we can stop for a drink.” Metal fingers twined with cold flesh as they made their way down the other side.

Tony shed his armour once they were out the snow-covered tops. They stopped half-way down and shared a little wine, which refreshed them both. The view was magnificent. Beyond the mountain there stretched a meadow, and then more hills and mountains after that. In the centre of the meadow was a stone statue. 

Loki went quiet as it came into view. His grip on Tony’s hand tightened as they got closer. At last, they came to the edge of the meadow, and he paused. “You'll stay with me?”

“Yes. I'm here.”

They kept walking. As they got closer, Tony could see the statue was in the form of a woman, and the space around it was littered with… stuff he couldn't quite make out. Flowers. Strange effigies made out cloth or woven from dry grass. Goblets filled with wine, and plates of food, still looking as delicious as they appeared on the tables in the hall of the dead. Which made sense, really, because without the passage of time, how would they rot? 

There were three smaller statues gathered around that of the woman, kneeling, but looking up at her with expressions of tenderness. Tony recognised all three faces. Odin in the centre, his two sons on either side.

“Tony Stark, meet my Mother, Frigga.”

_Oh._

“Or her image, at least. Her spirit rests elsewhere.”

“She's beautiful.”

He knelt down, gazing at her face, looking so much like his own graven image. Tony stood just behind, a hand on his shoulder. Standing by the statues, he was struck once again by the fact that being a God was more than just an egotistical claim, people had actually worshipped him long ago. 

“I wanted to bring her an offering. Some token to show that I still think of her, but I couldn't decide on anything. Nothing seemed like it would be good enough.”

“You are her son. Whatever gift you bring her will be cherished, however small.”

“The others leave these figures… images of those loved ones they hope are with her now. Images of themselves so they won't be forgotten. But it seems mine is already here. Not that she could forget me.” His hands twisted and pressed together, fidgeting in a way that made him seem almost vulnerable. Except it was Loki, and he could never be vulnerable, could he? “She taught me magic. Even though it was considered a womanly art. She knew I would never be as strong those around me- even as a giant I was a runt. So she taught me to protect myself, to use my brain where my body would not be enough.”

Tony sat beside him, an arm snaking around his back. “Tell me.”

So he did. Starting with his childhood, a Father whom he could never seem to please, a brother who constantly teased and belittled him. Knowing that he never quite fitted in, but not understanding why. “She was my sanctuary. Always loving me, always there to help. I would get so frustrated, so angry, but she would take me on her lap and soothe me. Even when I got too old for that, she was always there when the madness threatened to overwhelm me. I tried to kill her real son on more than one occasion, but she always forgave me. And then I found out who I really was, and nothing could stop me from unravelling.” 

He was trembling. Why was he trembling?

“Loki…”

“She gave her life protecting another. I miss her a great deal.”

Tony glanced around on the ground for something, anything, and picked up a stone about the size of his palm. “She taught you to use magic. Maybe she’d like to see some of it. Take this. Make it into something pretty.”

Loki’s hands were shaking as he took the stone. A green and golden light swirled over it, and it changed its hue, turning pure white. It peeled away at itself to form petals, opening from a bud into a beautiful flower, a short stem growing out from underneath. He laid it at the statue’s feet. “I don’t know how long the enchantment will last.”

“It could last forever. Things don’t seem to grow old, here.”

“True.” He sounded lost.

“Would you like to set up camp here? I could gather some wood for a fire, we could stay until morning. You could tell me stories about her.”

“I’d like that very much.”

“Will you be okay here for a while? I won’t be long.”

Loki nodded quietly, lost in thought. Tony kissed his forehead as he stood and went back into the trees. He found a fallen branch and used his laser to cut off a few good sized chunks, returning as quickly as he could. He was starting to feel concerned.

They made their fire at the edge of the meadow. No need for flint and steel now that he had his flamethrowers back. So that was fun. But Loki didn't seem to enjoy the little show he made of it, and that worried him even more. So he found himself a comfortable seat and held out his arms. For a moment the only response he got a knitted brow, an expression which spoke of a fear of rejection. It was like they'd taken ten steps backwards.

“Come on Elsa. It's just me. No need to put on a show. Get over here in my arms where you belong.”

Loki did as he was told for once, settling his head on Tony's shoulder, gradually relaxing into his embrace. He laid his hand over his heart, the soft light bathing his fingers.

“Remembering… isn't easy.”

“I know. Sometimes things just fall apart, no matter how hard we try and hold it together.”

“I thought it had all gone, but I can still feel those tendrils whispering doubts, trying to coax me towards the madness, the rage.”

“I don't know if those kind of voices ever go away. I lived with my fears so long. They still creep up and surprise me- you saw it happen. But you learn not to pay attention to them. You let them have their say and then you tell them to fuck off and you do your own thing anyway.”

“You make it sound so easy.”

“It's not. Obviously. Otherwise I wouldn't have run off and left you. But, on the other hand, I came back, so it does kinda work.”

The sky was getting dark, stars beginning to glimmer. They reminded Tony of the mischievous twinkle that usually shone on Loki's eyes, though right then that light seemed very dim.

“I'm gonna ask you something and you're not going to like it but don't bite my head off because I'm making a point.”

“Go on,” Loki replied cautiously.

“Did you love Narfi any less because he was a wolf?”

“Of course not. You know that.”

“Would you have loved him any more if he had been your own flesh and blood?”

His answer was almost a growl. “No. He was my son. I took him in and cared for him, and he was mine.”

“Then why is it you called Thor Frigga’s ‘real son,’ as if you were somehow something less than that?”

Silence.

“It's okay, it's a rhetorical question, I just want you to think about it.”

There was nothing for several breaths, and then Loki’s shoulders began to tremble once again. Tony hugged him tighter, kissing his hair.

“Our blood does not define us. If it did, I wouldn’t be here in Viking heaven. It’s our choices, our relationships that make us what we are. I made a choice that apparently impressed a Valkyrie, and she made a choice to bring me here. Our fates are tied together because at some point, conscious or otherwise, we chose each other and that choice was strong enough to echo through eternity and make us feel it from the start. Frigga made a choice to accept you into her family, you became her real son, and she loved you as her own. You were hers. You're Odin's too, though I know sometimes you doubt it. Whatever plans he said he had for you, whatever feelings made him take you home, he loves you now, and I know because he’s made it very clear how much trouble I’ll be in if I do anything to hurt you. And as for your brother… well let’s just say he was a mess after you died. He’d lost a lot, sure, but I saw how he talked about you, and once you were gone, he fell apart.”

That got a half-hearted chuckled.

“You’re fucking _Loki._ You are smart, cunning, charming, powerful- _magical_ even. You can be dark and mysterious or full of mischief and light. You are so many levels above awesome. And even though we were once on opposite sides, you shone so bright I fell in love with you. You know exactly how amazing you are, you just need to keep owning it and don’t let those doubts try to trick you into believing otherwise.”

Loki sat up and stared at him. “Say that again.”

“What the whole thing? I don’t think I can remember it all, I talk way too much.”

“Not the whole thing. The penultimate part. The part where said that you fell...”

“Oops. I just slipped that right in there, huh?”

“Say it again.”

“You’re not the boss of me.”

“ _Please,_ Man of Iron!”

His head bowed a little as he begged, and in the light from his chest, Tony saw that his eyes were red and about to spill over with tears. He stopped playing and took his face in both hands, catching his gaze. “Loki, son of Odin, I love you.”

Loki let out a long, shuddering breath. 

“I thought you already knew?”

“I hoped. I knew we would be together, I didn’t know… how much, or why.” The tears spilled down his cheeks, and Tony wiped them away with a tender touch. “This moment, now, is the one when I choose you. This is the echo that I feel throughout the everywhen. I love you, Tony Stark, Man of Iron. I love you and I want you near me for the rest of eternity.”

Their lips met, their souls joined. It was deep and passionate and full of love. It was the greatest intimacy, the greatest acceptance that Loki had ever known. He quickly grew hungry for more and pushed him down to the ground, tugging at his clothes, needing to find his skin. 

And then he froze, looking up suddenly.

“What? What's wrong?”

“I have the strangest feeling that my Mother is watching.”

Tony cleared his throat and raised his eyebrows. “Well, that's one way to kill the mood.”

Loki sat up, and his lover followed. “I'm sorry.”

“Don't be. I mean, if there's even the slightest chance that it _is_ a magical statue that's actually a window to another afterlife, I do not want your Mom seeing the things I'm going to do to you.”

“I thought you didn't believe in magic?”

“I don't. But it's easier to say that it way than some kind of interdimensional communication relay that crosses realities and even more confusingly, the timelessness of eternity- potentially two separate eternities- to see what's going on at a specific point-” 

He was interrupted Loki's lips abruptly pressed to his once again. “Stop talking like that,” he said, breathless, “your brain is too tantalising.”

Tony grinned. “I know. Hey, what you got tucked in that bag? I think it's time to eat something.”

They munched on bread and cheese (soft, fluffy bread; smooth, tasty cheese) and drank some more wine. They exchanged stories about all the trouble they used to get into as children. Loki talked of his family, seeing things from a slightly different perspective. He leaned closer into Tony’s arms as the tales poured out of him, one after another. Eventually, a quiet peace came over him, and he thought that he might like to sleep.

But Tony couldn’t stop thinking. “Frigga’s field- it's a separate afterlife?”

“So they say. None here have found a path to it yet. And they have been looking for centuries. It may not even be connected to this one in a physical sense.”

“Give me time. I might be able to come up with something.”

“Yes, you might at that.” 

He considered the possibilities as Loki’s breathing deepened, and he drifted off in his arms. Tony stroked and kissed his hair, loving him, wanting to do something special for him. His body rested, content, while his brain conjured possibilities and probabilities, questions and theories, and built up a framework of options from which to build a plan when he had more information. He could find a way to bring them back together- if not forever, at least a way to visit. And it was always good to have a project.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you everyone for reading and showing your appreciation! I love you all! 
> 
> Thank you FluffyGlitterPantsDragon for throwing bunnies at me and making this a lot longer than it was originally meant to be.
> 
> And now it is time for a happy ending. Enjoy. ;)

A few hundred warriors could be seen in Odin’s hall, but their spirits overlapped with thousands more. And even though not all the faces were visible at once, you feel the electricity of their excitement. Loki was a legend; the Man of Iron had won everyone's heart and they all knew that something spectacular was about to happen. Wagers were made (though the money was only rune marked stones, and simply a way of keeping score) but there was no clear favourite. 

There was a hush over the tables of the assembled dead, a taut sense of expectation. Two heroes, barefoot and bare chested, carefully circled each other. Tony bounced lightly on his feet, while Loki stalked slowly, their eyes locked onto each other, waiting to see who would make the first move. 

Tony lost patience first, of course. He darted in but Loki blocked and knocked his hands back- once, twice, and on the third attempt pulled instead of pushing, managing to gain a firm grip on Tony’s shoulders and pushing him down. Tony’s arms flung up and around on his way to the floor, clutching Loki but getting a face full of crotch in the process. _Oh, God, this is going to get complicated._ The Trickster laughed as he fell sideways, and kept grinning as they rolled on the packed earth. Every time Tony thought he was starting to get somewhere, Loki would smirk, twist from his grasp and take the advantage.

“You're toying with me,” he said, realising Loki was pinning his arms with just enough pressure to keep him there.

“But you're so much fun to play with! And I think you're holding back, too. So it's hardly a real contest.”

He was right of course. Because somewhere in the back of his brain, was the part that didn't want to actually hurt him. He had to overwrite that temporarily. Loki wanted him to give it all, to test himself, and he could take it. Tony struggled and Loki's grip grew tighter. 

“That's more like it. Show me all your strength.”

He pushed with his arms, managing to get them off the ground before Loki slammed them back down, painfully. Change of tactic. He twisted from his hips, noting the way they rubbed deliciously against Loki's, but not letting it distract him, and slipped out from underneath. They both scrambled to their feet at the same moment, and had to start all over again. 

This time Tony waited, letting himself catch his breath, trying to read something- anything- in Loki's expression, but he gave nothing away. He sprang forward out of nowhere but Tony braced himself with a wide-legged stance and stayed upright. They stood that way, leaning into each other and equally balanced until Loki deliberately shifted his weight and took them both down together.

“What happened to always being on top?” Tony gloated as he pressed his arm across Loki's chest. For some reason, the bastard was still grinning. Which did not bode well, because it probably meant he was planning something.

“I thought I might see how it feels to be beneath you.”

“How do you like it?”

“It is quite pleasant.” He arched his back suddenly, lifting Tony so high that he had to adjust his weight and lost his hold. In less than a second he was lying face down in the dirt, Loki on his back. “But this is immeasurably more favourable,” he whispered in his ear.

Tony spat to clear his mouth, tried to think of anything except the weight above him, the feel of skin slipping on skin. He strangled the moan that was trying to escape his throat and realised he was rapidly running out of options. Right now his best bet was to ready to spring to his feet the second Loki let go. He got his hands beneath his shoulders, pressed into the balls of his feet and tightened his core. But Loki didn't let up. He hooked a foot behind Tony's knee, knocking it out of position before quickly rising. As soon as it happened, Tony knew he wouldn't be able to get up in time, so instead he spun of the spot and grabbed the offending foot to keep Loki from escaping. He wasn't sure if it was in an effort to win the match, or simply to keep him close and revel in the touch of his flesh a little longer. Loki grasped a handful of his hair to keep his balance and _holy shit_ it felt good. He twisted once more, putting his shoulder behind Loki's knee and succeeded in rolling him, but now Loki has his thighs wrapped around Tony's neck. They were both on their backs, and he really didn't know how he was going to wriggle out of this one. He wasn't even convinced he wanted to. Except maybe…

“You know dying between your thighs would have been a great way to go, but wouldn't you prefer to have them locked around my waist instead? Or you could just let me turn around so I can-”

“Do not finish that sentence!” Loki hissed, leaning towards him to press a hand over his mouth. Tony seized on the moment of confusion to take hs opportunity, pushing his legs far enough apart to duck his head out underneath. Loki was too fast though, grabbing him once more and wrestling him onto his back. Tony swore as a leather clad knee was pressed just below the light in his chest, holding him down while Loki fought to get a grip on his wrists. “You know you cannot defeat me, why do you not yield?”

“Have you ever known me to give up? Like, _ever?_ ” he said with his most charming smile. “I could do this dance all day if you want. Even if that day lasts a century.”

Something switched inside Loki, as he came to the conclusion there was another dance he would much rather be doing. He caught Tony's arms and slammed them to the ground once more, bending forward to plant a kiss firmly on his mouth. He felt Tony melt under him as he opened to accept his tongue, felt his chest swell as he inhaled deeply.

And he let go all at once, leaving him on the floor and stepping back to claim the victory.

The crowds took a moment to decide if it was a fair move or not. Tony took a minute to remember exactly what was going on, because he had let himself get lost in that kiss. Then he laughed. “Okay, you win. I should have known you wouldn't play fair.”

“You're only vexed you didn't think of it first.”

“Also true.”

When Loki helped him up, his eyes were glittering like never before. Those watching decided it had been an excellent fight, and what did it matter if it ended strangely? It was Loki after all. So they cheered and roared and paid their bets, and didn't seem to notice or mind when the two competitors made a discreet exit. 

As soon as they were out the door, they sought to grab each other again, with fumbling hands and staggering steps away from the hall as they kissed and pressed together.

Loki pulled apart just enough to speak. “Fly me somewhere far away, my Man of Iron.”

“I know just the place,” he said, and taking a step back, he suited up. 

Loki watched as the armour melted over him like an illusion. He wondered in passing how long it would be before the man accepted that his technology had been replaced by magic, that it wasn't bound by physical laws anymore. Probably not any time soon. Perhaps he would have to trick him into using it for something the original had never been designed to do, just to prove it. That would be difficult though- this version seemed to be capable of anything. He caressed the red and gold as he laid his arms over Tony's shoulders, knowing it was all a part of him, an extension of his spirit. 

As Tony wrapped his arms around Loki's waist, looking up at him through the mask, he extended his wing boosters. He expected taking off without the familiar comfort of hand stabilisers to be a bumpy ride, but they seemed to just glide upwards. As he levelled out Loki held on with his legs as well, smiling in wonder.

It wasn't a long flight, even though he took a slight detour to drag it out some more. Loki looked around as they descended, taking in the clearing, the tree stumps, the river, before pausing to admire the longhouse. His arms slipped down as his feet touched the earth and he looked from Tony to the doorway and back again, his eyebrows raised in astonishment and question. “This? This is the project you keep disappearing to work on?”

Tony shuffled his feet and retracted his armour. Now that the Prince of Asgard was here, his efforts seemed rather inadequate. “Yeah. I mean, I know it's not a palace or anything like you're used to, but it's the best I could do with what was available at the time. It's still a work in progress; I need to build a forge out the back, then I can start making proper tools, so I can fix up some electronics and make some better furniture-”

Loki grabbed him in a tight hug and spun him round so fast his legs flew outwards. “You built all this for me? With your own bare hands?”

“For us. And yes, but not quite bare hands. I had the suit.”

“It's marvelous! And you are extraordinary!

“Okay, yeah, I guess it is pretty awesome. Come on, let's go inside.” He took his hand and pulled him through the doorway. There were already logs in the central firepit, and he knelt to light them while Loki looked around. There were benches by the fire, what appeared to be a work-table at one end and a pile of furs at the other. Loki made himself comfortable on them as the flames sparked into life. Tony came to lie down beside him. “Sorry, I didn’t get as far as a real bed. It’s next on the list.”

Loki ran his fingertips over his chest, watching the way they lit up as they travelled over skin that was still dirty from the fight. 

“And maybe a shower. I’m sure I could work something out with a water-wheel-”

Loki’s fingers flexed and relaxed, and they were both clean again. 

“Or that. That works too.”

Hands travelled up his neck and pulled him close for a kiss. Back at the beach it had all felt so urgent, but now they were here, it seemed right to slow down and enjoy everything. Tony closed his eyes and held Loki tighter, one hand on his back, another in his hair. Their legs interlocked and their bodies rocked together, and Tony realised something didn’t feel quite like it should. He opened his eyes to see a beautiful, dark-haired woman with sparkling eyes and a mischievous smile.

“Hey, what’s going on?”

“I would have thought that was fairly obvious,” she said. “Something that we’ve both been waiting for too long.” She bent to kiss his neck but he pushed her back.

“Wait, wait. What’s with the sudden make-over?”

“So we can… make love.”

“You don’t need to change to do that, you know.”

“I don’t?”

“No. Hang on, are you telling me that in all your extensive… lifespan, you’ve only ever had straight sex?”

“I can be whatever my consorts desire me to be. Man or woman, dark or fair, I can even take on the image of another,” and as if to demonstrate, her hair went blonde and her face shimmered into the image of Lagertha. “Do you not desire a woman?”

“Okay, stop that. And no, I don’t desire a woman. I desire you, the real you, no illusions, no tricks.”

“But it’s all an illusion. It always has been. The real me is… different.”

“Show me.”

There was a fine line of green light that chased over her skin like embers devouring paper. The woman he didn't want closed her eyes and disappeared under it, to be replaced by raven locks and cold, blue skin. Apart from being a different colour, it was the face he knew, the face he'd come to love.

Tony shivered in spite of himself. “I'm going to need to bribe Henrik again for more furs,” he teased, shuffling to grab one from under them and throw it over their shoulders.

Loki smiled and looked at him with crimson eyes. “I'm sure you can find a way to warm my blood.”

“I'm sure I could. But just to clarify, on the basis of your seeming confusion a moment ago, you know how this works, right?”

“I suppose. In theory. I mean, I know it's possible, I've just never needed to think too much about… how it's done.”

“That's… a little surprising. Not even once?”

“I always found that if I wanted another man, it was much easier to win him over in female form. Even that was slightly frowned upon, but I had a reputation for dubious morality and for knowing how to please.”

“What about your pleasure?” he asked, tracing the lines on Loki's cheeks.

“I know how to achieve that too, whichever body I use.” 

“Maybe sometime we can play it that way, but right now, I need you to be you. Our first time.”

“With the freaky, alien man you love?”

“Yes. I love you. I want to be with you.” He covered his face with kisses as he spoke. “My beautiful,” _kiss_ “freaky,” _kiss_ “alien,” _kiss_ “smurf-ass boyfriend.” _Kiss._ “My Prince.” A softer, more tender kiss, dropped right at the corner of his mouth. “My God.” Their lips met, longing for a deeper connection. Loki’s body curled, his hips pressing forward, and Tony moaned as he felt the cold, hard length of him. “Just so you know, I plan on taking this very slow. You have a lot to learn.”

Loki chuckled, a deep, sensual sound. “You think _you_ can educate _me?”_

“I’ll certainly do my best.” His tongue found more raised lines- almost scar-like- on Loki’s neck and shoulders. Now it was the frost giant’s turn to shiver.

“I admit you show some promise already,” he said, his voice trembling. Cold fingers tensed on Tony’s back, leaching heat from his flesh. Which was fine because he was feeling hotter by the moment and had plenty to spare. 

There had been this one girl after a party once, who had a fetish for ice. They’d sat for half an hour rubbing melting cubes over each other’s bodies until he’d stopped flinching and giggling, and learned to enjoy the sensation. The memory served him well, now, transforming Loki’s frozen touch from something to be endured into something intense and seductive. Gradually, as they explored each other’s bodies, his temperature rose from something out to freezer to a chilled beverage from the refrigerator. When at last they reached for what little remained of their clothes, Tony found himself fumbling the fastenings at Loki’s waist in his haste to find what was underneath. Loki had no such trouble, even though his heart was pounding, and with a few deft movements Tony sprang free. He shuddered and gave up as a blue hand caressed him from base to tip and back down again. That same hand gave a quick flourish and they were both naked. The fur blanket had fallen off long since.

Loki pushed him onto his back and began to stroke him more firmly, nibbling at his earlobe. “Exactly how slow do you plan on taking this?”

“My plan may be… hnnngh… flexible.”

“Excellent. Because I’m starting to form a plan of my own.”

Tony wanted to tell him not to, that he didn’t want to be spent too soon, but then frosty lips were moving down his body, flicking over a nipple as scarlet eyes stared up at him, and he thought perhaps he could hold out for a little while, at least. He became less certain of that fact when Loki licked his shaft and twirled his tongue over the head. Then again, the cold was a little inhibiting when applied so directly, the intimacy of it driving him closer to pleasure but the icy sensation holding it back. Then the words _Oh my God_ took on a whole new meaning as Loki took him into his mouth. He wasn't just bragging about knowing how to please. His hands kept exploring Tonys body, his tongue working in ripples under his shaft and the suction, the depth… if it weren't for the cold he would have finished then and there. 

He let himself enjoy it as long as he dared, making all kinds of inarticulate noises, and Loki showed no signs of losing interest in his task. “Enough!” he gasped at last. 

“Hmmmm?” he responded, his mouth still full.

“Loki, my love, please, this is better than anything, but I want you inside me.”

The wet pop as he let go was a miracle in itself. “Show me how.”

Tony Stark was no stranger to anal sex, both giving and receiving. He liked it a lot- but then he was a complete hedonist and the orgasms were intense. He liked it so much he'd even built his own red and gold dildo, with a remote to make it push in all the right places, so that Pepper could peg him once in a while. She'd been dubious at first, but he'd designed the other end to find all _her_ right places too, and she soon realised how fun it could be. The memory made him smile, but took nothing away from this moment. His time with her was complete, and now he had Loki. 

Who had, astonishingly, never had gay sex. Which presented a question Tony wasn't sure how to put into words. He considered as they pressed together, his cock still wet and sliding against Loki's, both of them hard as iron and aching with need. Even though his movements were slow, Tony could sense his urgency, the tense need all over his blue body. Getting him to the point where he was ready to receive for the first time might take longer than he was willing to spend on the task. And though he couldn't permanently damage him here, he didn't want their first time to be marked with pain. Not that kind of pain, anyway.

Even if he imagined it might feel like plunging into a bucket of ice-cream. He could try that another day.

On the other hand, Tony could probably take his popsicle with very little prep. Heaven knows he was horny enough.

“Lie back. You're going to need to trust me to take the lead, to go at my own pace. Can you do that?”

“Yes. I will be guided by you in this.”

“Good. Because this has the potential to hurt if we don't get it right. But don't worry, I know how to get it right.” He reached beside the pile of furs to retrieve a small pot of something and dipped his fingers into it.

“What's that?” Loki asked, trying to ignore a nagging feeling of concern.

Tony sat up and straddled his hips. “Just a little something to help us along. Unfortunately my ass doesn't lubricate itself.”

Loki seized his wrist with a loud snap, his face a flood of mixed emotion. “You want me to _bugger_ you?”

“So you _do_ know how this works,” Tony smiled, the strength of Loki’s grip sending a ripple of pleasure down his spine.

“No,” he said sternly. “Not that. I know I'm a thing of nightmares, but that doesn't mean I want to hurt you.”

And just like that, Tony's arousal vanished. He got as much of the slippery stuff back in the pot as he could, wiping the rest on his own leg, and lay down next to Loki. “First of all, like I said, it won't hurt me. Second, and more importantly, you are not a nightmare.”

“Then why would think that I'd want… that?’

“What's so wrong with it?” he asked gently.

“It's what they do to prisoners. To punish them, degrade them. It's violent and humiliating, and I don't understand why you would even consider it.”

“They who?”

Loki turned his face to the ceiling. “The most savage of them. Humans, giants… aliens.”

“Loki, did someone hurt you?”

His answer came softly. “They all did. In so many ways. That was but one of them. But I survived it. And now they are all gone, obliterated by your hand.”

Tony felt a surge of protective anger, and quelled it with the thought that what he’d done was even more justified. “I’m so sorry you had to go through that. Shit, that sounds so lame.” He felt utterly confused, not knowing the right thing to do, the right thing to say.

“It doesn’t hurt me anymore. I have been through a great deal more than someone of your limited years can understand. I am strong, and I refuse to be defined by such savagery.” He turned back to Tony, showing no hint of fear or regret. “But the thought of putting you through that, and calling it love, seems anathema to me.”

“I think… I think we’re talking about different things. When I made the suit, it was designed to fight, to stop the bad guys, to shoot, to smash, to destroy. And yet I took that power, those tools, and used them to build something, to make a home for us. Sometimes the same thing can be used to hurt people or to show them love. You’ve been a woman, and you’ve already admitted you enjoyed getting fucked. You understand the difference between that and being attacked. We do things a little differently where I come from. It can be tender, and intimate, and it can be a truly intense kind of pleasure. That’s what I want to share with you. Our bodies joining, parts interlocking in delicious and satisfying ways. Making love.”

Loki stared at him, considering his words carefully, searching his face for any sign that he was hiding something, that he was looking for revenge or punishment. But there was none. “You want this. You believe it to be a good thing.”

Tony stared back. He let his fingertips dance over the paler, ridged lines that swirled around Loki's chest. “It is a good thing. And with you it's going to be better than good, it's going to be incredible. But Loki, you have to trust me.”

“I do trust you.”

“Then let me show you how much I love you. Let me teach you so that we can both feel amazing. Let me be one with you.”

Loki pulled him close for a kiss more pure than he had ever known. It carried every ounce of his love, and Tony could _feel_ it as though it were a physical thing. Every brush of his lips was tenderness, each stroke of his tongue was longing. When he broke apart to speak, his voice dripped with passion. “I want to be one with you. I want to know how such love can feel.” His hands traced down Tony's backbone, exploring. “Show me.”

They pressed together once more, undulating and writhing like snakes. Loki rolled Tony onto his back, instinctively seeking dominance, and the Man of Iron submitted, parting his legs. Not a position of weakness, but the vulnerability of trust. He took Loki’s wrist, kissing it lightly, his lips skimming over his palm and then up his index finger. It tasted of frost and salt. His tongue darted over it and caught it into his mouth, sucking it, warming it, staring into glittering rubies that watched hungrily. His other was busy dipping back into the pot, and he pulled the finger from his mouth and coated it thoroughly. When he spoke, his voice was breathy but commanding. “I want you to spread this around, and then very carefully, slide this finger inside.” The last came out as barely a whisper, as though he was uttering the greatest secret ever told. 

Loki began to smile. “Like preparing a virgin?” 

“I suppose. I haven't exactly slept with many virgins, I have to admit.”

“I have. You have to be gentle," he replied softly, burying his face into Tony's neck, flicking over his pulse point with an icy tongue. "Acclimatise them gradually.”

“Then yeah, very much like that.” 

Loki reached down, mindful not to waste any of the precious fluid except where it was needed. His finger swept around and around, teasing before it found its way in. There was something enormously satisfying about the way it made Tony shiver and moan happily, something very alluring in the way the muscles tightened around him. “I trust that's acceptable. I'm going to explore a little. Stop me if it gets too much.”

Tony breathed deep and nodded. Loki seemed to have an instinct for it though, or maybe just a few centuries worth of seduction experience. He watched every inhalation as he pressed and released, finding that there was a pattern to it, stretching to the point of resistance and then easing off. Loki felt the tension leave as his partner relaxed into it and added another finger, hooking and caressing until Tony groaned and squirmed. “Interesting. It seems I found your pleasure centre,” he said, gloating.

Tony's answer was to push Loki over onto his back, kneeling over his belly. Loki didn't let go, but kept rubbing over the sensitive area until he had him gasping and swearing.

Somehow, Tony managed to get himself together enough to slap a handful of oily lubricant over the part he wanted most, spreading it generously and watching that smug expression dissolve into bliss.

“I'm ready,” he whispered, and Loki carefully withdrew. "Are you?"

“Yes. You promise I won't hurt you?”

“I promise.”

“Tony?”

“Yes?”

“I love you.”

“I love you too.” 

And the next moment, he felt Loki pressing, firm and cold and large; he felt him enter, joining their souls inextricably. The burn of the first stretch as he pushed over the head was eased by the coolness of his skin, and he carefully lowered himself down. Loki's mouth was open in a not-so-silent “o” of surprise and pleasure. “Don't move,” Tony warned, panting. “Damn, that's good. You might take a bit of getting used to.” He took several deep breaths and then tentatively rose and lowered himself again, taking him all the way in.

“Nnngghh!” Loki moaned. “You were right. This is everything!”

Tony leaned forward, mouths pressing together, fingers interlocking, every part of him trying merge with Loki, and every nerve singing like he was succeeding. 

“Please, Tony, may I move now?”

“My God, yes!”

His hands found Tony's hipbones and he rocked upwards, and it was glorious. Tight but yielding, warm and inviting. This was making love, the sense of giving and accepting what was given in return. An intimacy greater than he had ever known. It was hard to concentrate on anything but being inside his lover, and the green light rippled once more and chased the blue from his body. This illusion was strong and it was more effort to keep it away than he was willing to spend right now.

Tony only worried for a second when the warmth returned, Loki's face was all the proof he needed that it was all still okay. More than okay. Their eyes met and he was drowning, lost in a kind of magic that no science would ever explain. 

Eternity took the moment and extended it into an endless ecstasy. They were two souls entwined, their bodies a manifestation of their spirits, and the feeling behind every touch, every pulse of their hips, made it all the more miraculous. Tony could feel the way Loki deliberately angled himself within, finding his “pleasure centre” and giving it just the right amount of attention to make him tremble without overwhelming him. Slow, small movements gradually became deeper, sliding in and out with just the right amount of resistance. They curled to meet each other and then pulled back, finding the rhythm together, their bodies in total unison. The increase in speed was almost imperceptible- not a sudden change of pace, but rather an inexorable climb towards their peak. Now that they were together, there was no urgency. Tony sat up, resting hands on Loki's chest, panting as he bounced, sweat on his chest and on his brow. Loki placed his left hand over his heart, light gleaming through his fingers. Light that kept growing brighter as they both drew closer.

Then he wrapped his right hand around Tony's cock and took him to whole new levels of paradise. 

Muscles bound taut and breath came shallow. Rays of blinding light poured out between Loki’s fingers, and his own heart was beating so hard he felt like might break through his ribcage at any moment.

“Loki…”

“I know.”

Tony’s thighs twitched and he hovered, letting Loki thrust quick and deep, his grip tight and pumping fast. His back arched, the release imminent. “Loki… my GOD!”

It was like nothing on earth. Earthly orgasms were bound by biology, but there were no such limitations here. It was smooth but powerful, surging from deep within and pouring out of him in waves of incoherent pleasure. His whole body shook and spasmed as he spilled over his lover's chest, and by Loki's cries and twisted visage he was right there too. He thrust deep and held it there, and Tony could feel him throbbing, feel the wetness fill him, sending renewed tremors through muscles inside and out.

But Loki didn't stop. After the pause, after the climax, he began to move again, still hard and needy. Tony’s thighs were ready to collapse under him, so he bent forward again and rolled, pulling Loki over him, a voice echoing in his head, _I am always on top._ He bent his knees, hooking his legs over Loki’s shoulders, angling his hips, and felt everything tighten once more. Loki plunged deep, spearing him again and again, never tiring or losing pace. They held each other’s gaze as they came together again, surging, exploding as one.

Loki leaned into his legs, caressing them, kissing his calves, and still he wasn’t done. He lifted Tony’s hips, kneeling under them, releasing his legs so they could wrap around his waist. He held him in place as he kept rocking, more gently now. It wasn’t as deep, but he watched his lover’s face until he caught him in just the right spot again, kneading into it. He felt Tony’s pleasure as if it were his own, so intricately were they bound now. It built up steadily until the convulsions took them once more, sending them spiralling back down from the heavens. 

It was starting to take a toll. He leaned back, rearranging Tony’s legs together, turning him onto his side and lying down behind him. He kissed the back of his neck and pressed into him, arms curled around his chest, treasuring him and not quite ready to let go. He reached down and took his cock in hand, finding it wet but firm, and stroked him slowly. He wanted to stay interlocked like this forever, and he knew in some sense it would. He wanted Tony to know just how deep his love went, but there was no way he could ever put _this_ into words. So instead he kept touching, kept pulsing in and out, until at last it they found release in a shuddering breath, in a murmured declaration of mutual love, finally leaving them replete.

They lay there, not caring about the mess they were in, only knowing that this was exactly how things were meant to be. Loki's arms held him tight and they stayed joined, with no energy or inclination to move. Eventually Tony eased away and turned to kiss him, then propped his head up with his fist.

“So that's what you meant about heavenly orgasms huh?”

Loki just smiled. “No. I knew things would be different with you, but that level of intensity was unexpected.”

“Wait until I top you. Assuming your species has the same anatomy, of course.”

“I'm a shapeshifter. I can have whatever anatomy you desire.”

“Hhmmmm. And doesn't that suggest a multitude of possibilities.”

“You're quite the inventor. You might even come up with something I've never tried before.”

“We have plenty of time to experiment and work it out. But I'm still glad I got the real you, for our first.” He combed Loki's hair back from his face, loving him with all his heart. “Also, no performance issues this time, so that's a bonus.”

Loki grinned and tapped a hooked fingertip on the arc reactor. The light had dimmed, but was still brighter than usual. It might have been his imagination, but it almost seemed as if it were tinged with green. “It seems my power does affect you now.”

“I could come up with a line about how you've cast a spell in my iron heart, but it would sound ridiculous so I think I'll pass.” He sighed. “We should probably do something about getting clean before I fall asleep. I think I have four doses of Norse Deity up my ass, and it feels like they’re trying to escape.”

Loki chuckled, and vanished all the mess with a wave.

“Well, that works. And I didn't even have to move.”

“A situation about which I could not be more glad.”

“Do you have some nefarious plan to keep me here forever? Please say yes.”

“Yes. Though so far I'm not entirely sure on the details.”

“That’s okay. You can work on it while I sleep. Four orgasms is exhausting, I don’t know how you girls do it.” He settled down on Loki’s shoulder, and the Trickster found a loose fur to drape over them both. “Wake me up when you want to have sex again.”

“Yes, love.”

“And Loki?”

“Yes, Man of Iron?”

“Just for reference, you are now officially my one true God.” 

“I know.” He stroked his hair and thought about sleep himself, but for a time, it eluded him. For a time, he was perfectly happy to rest with the Man of Iron in his arms, under the roof of the house he had built for him. For them. A home.

Together, they rested.


End file.
